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CASE STUDY
Page 10
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HAULIERS HIT BY THE GRANT CUTS
dk One of the companies already hit by the cuts to SRA grants is Chlicompton-based Massey Wilcox Transport. It was planning a 11.5m investment in a rail-freight terminal at Avonmouth. However, business development manager Mike Ham says that without the anticipated grant the project is not viable. "We applied for a grant in September and were expecting approval this month. So to be advised last week that it was being cancelled is a major blow."
Ham adds that: "The environmental benefit is immense. In our case we are able to demonstrate the elimination of 12,000 heavy goods loads across country per year and three million road-miles saved by transferring freight to rail. The whole point of the Freight Facilities Grant is to provide capital assistance to encourage this transfer—because without it we are not able to make the financial justification."
Massey Wilcox is not about to take the cuts lying down. "We have got to get the government to change its mind," insists Ham. "We will be lobbying the SRA over the next few days to achieve this."