Development Consent secured for new London port

21 Feb 2019 | 03:53 pm | 1 min. read

International law firm Pinsent Masons has enabled Forth Ports Group to secure a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Port of Tilbury – the UK's fastest growing port.

The Port of Tilbury on the river Thames has been granted a DCO by the Secretary of State for Transport to build 'Tilbury2' - a new £200 million port terminal adjacent to the current 930 acre site in the outskirts of Greater London.

Pinsent Masons has been advising Forth Ports Group on the scheme since December 2016 and has been instrumental in securing the DCO over the following 26 months. The firm advised on all aspects of applying for and obtaining the DCO including demonstrating the need for Tilbury2 and its benefits; dealing with all objections and negotiations with stakeholders; running the 6 month public examination of the proposals; and ensuring that the legislation for the construction and operation of Tilbury2 is integrated with the legislation applying to the current Port of Tilbury.

Expansion is essential for the Port of Tilbury to cope with rising demand for construction materials and aggregates from Britain's construction sector, imported and exported cars, and an increase in commercial ferry traffic. The current port has doubled in size in the past 10 years and is projected to double the volume of cargo across the quay (from 16 million to 32 million tonnes) and increase direct employment (from 3,500 to 12,000 jobs) over the next 10—15 years.

Preliminary works are already underway and construction of the scheme is set to commence in mid-March. The new port will include; a new rail and road connection, a roll on/roll off ferry terminal, an extended river jetty, new storage areas, and a facility for importing, processing, manufacturing and distributing construction materials.

Robbie Owen, lead partner from Pinsent Masons said, "This is a major milestone for Tilbury2 and an essential part of the Port of Tilbury's wider investment programme. We have been delighted to have been involved in Tilbury2 since it became a DCO scheme and the terms of the Government's decision are a credit to the strong need for the scheme, its benefits, and the way in which it has been promoted by the port. Any DCO submission is a major undertaking, but the collaborative working relationships established have been crucial in obtaining the DCO so quickly, in just over 2 years."

Pamela Smyth, Group General Counsel for Forth Ports Limited said, “This consent for Tilbury2 is an important part of our future growth strategy and we are grateful to the Pinsent Masons team for all their support during this process.”

Key Contacts

Robbie Owen

Robbie Owen

Partner and Parliamentary Agent, Head of Infrastructure Planning & Government Affairs

View Profile

Latest press releases

Show me all press releases

Pinsent Masons has advised Tokai Carbon on the sale of its German subsidiary TOKAI ERFTCARBON GmbH

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has advised Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (“Tokai Carbon”) on the sale of its German subsidiary TOKAI ERFTCARBON GmbH (“TEG”), to Lenbach Equity Opportunities III. GmbH & Co. KG, which is exclusively advised by DUBAG Investment Advisory GmbH (“DUBAG”).

Pinsent Masons advises on Shackleton exit

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has advised the shareholders of independent financial advisory and wealth management firm Shackleton, including the private equity buy-and-build specialist Sovereign Capital Partners, on the exit to Lee Equity Partners.

Pinsent Masons named by The Times as a Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has been announced by Business in the Community as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2025. This year’s list marks the sixth time that the firm has been recognised for its commitment to embedding gender equality into all levels of the organisation.

People who viewed this press release also viewed

Show me all press releases

Pinsent Masons has advised Tokai Carbon on the sale of its German subsidiary TOKAI ERFTCARBON GmbH

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has advised Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (“Tokai Carbon”) on the sale of its German subsidiary TOKAI ERFTCARBON GmbH (“TEG”), to Lenbach Equity Opportunities III. GmbH & Co. KG, which is exclusively advised by DUBAG Investment Advisory GmbH (“DUBAG”).

Pinsent Masons advises on Shackleton exit

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has advised the shareholders of independent financial advisory and wealth management firm Shackleton, including the private equity buy-and-build specialist Sovereign Capital Partners, on the exit to Lee Equity Partners.

Pinsent Masons named by The Times as a Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality

Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has been announced by Business in the Community as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2025. This year’s list marks the sixth time that the firm has been recognised for its commitment to embedding gender equality into all levels of the organisation.

For all media enquiries, including arranging an interview with one of our spokespeople, please contact the press office on

+44 (0)20 7418 8199 or 

Location contacts

We are processing your request. \n Thank you for your patience. An error occurred. This could be due to inactivity on the page - please try again.