A score for Ipswich
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THE PORT of Ipswich lies on the direct line between the Midlands and Europe's greatest market area of the Ruhr. Nineteen liner services are based there, they serve the whole of Europe, the Baltic, Mediterranean countries and West Africa.
The town has a population of only 122,000, but is within 72 miles of London and is on the junction of the Al 2 and A45 trunk roads.
The Port of Ipswich is not nationalised but is controlled by a Public Trust, Ipswich Port Authority superseded the old Ipswich Dock Commission, which had been in existence since 1837. Last year saw a record amount of some three million tons being handled.
The Authority says that the cargoes passing through are probably the most diverse of those of any port on the East Coast. These include unitised cargo, including vehicles and containers, general cargo, petroleum, grain, malt, vegetables, animal feeds, coal, stone and fertilisers.
It was a vital outlet for East Anglia in medieval times, but declined in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and suffered from silting. Its reestablishment as a major port in the UK has occurred during the past 20 years. Seven years ago the first phase of a new development was opened, consisting of two berths for ro-ro traffic and 240 metres of quay. Last year more land was reclaimed from the sea.
The port has its own Freightliner terminal on the West Bank unit load complex, and similarly is tied into the Railfreight Speed link network.
Transit shed and warehouses operated by the Authority's staff have a floor area of 32,320sqm.
Its trade shadows the UK's import/export imbalance. In 1979 2.46m tons were imported, and 0.72m exported. The number of vessels carrying this cargo amounted to 2735 — virtually double the number of ships of 30 years ago, when the net tonnage handled was 0.43m. Beccles, I had understood, is so close to Lowestoft as to be heavily involved with the town. However, this is not so at Westwood Transport Ltd, which does a lot of haulage in malt and for a printing firm. When two drivers left in the winter they were not replaced, but the company believes it is coping better than most, said Ted Turner, transport manager. The firm has 21 artics, mostly Fiats, plus four rigids.