The Associated British Ports (Immingham Green Energy Terminal) Order 2025

This Order grants development consent and authorises the construction, operation, and maintenance of a multi-user marine terminal at Immingham Port for importing and exporting bulk liquids.

It incorporates relevant provisions of the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847, addresses street works, land acquisition (including compulsory purchase powers), and temporary land possession, outlining compensation procedures and protective measures for various stakeholders.

The order also includes stipulations for environmental management, decommissioning, and compliance with maritime regulations, along with detailed operational and general provisions.

Arguments For

  • Intended benefits: The development aims to establish a new green energy import terminal, boosting the UK's energy infrastructure and potentially creating jobs.

  • Evidence cited: The order references various prior Acts and regulations to justify its clauses and provide legal backing for each of its stipulations, indicating a comprehensive regulatory review process.

  • Implementation methods: The document outlines a detailed plan for acquiring necessary land (both compulsorily and through agreement) and meticulously specifies the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning phases.

  • Legal/historical basis: Each section and subsection is firmly grounded in established UK planning and infrastructure legislation, including the Planning Act 2008 and other relevant Acts, demonstrating a comprehensive legal framework for the project.

Arguments Against

  • Potential impacts: The construction and operation might cause disruption, including noise and traffic issues in nearby areas, during the implementation process and impact on local residents.

  • Implementation challenges: Coordinating various stakeholders, including different governmental bodies and private entities, potentially introduces delays and administrative obstacles during construction and even beyond operational procedures.

  • Alternative approaches: Exploring other locations or alternative energy sources might have produced a less disruptive development and potentially different ecological results.

  • Unintended effects: The extensive modifications stipulated in the order might introduce unforeseen challenges during the development stages such as ecological impacts or other environmental impacts, or unforeseen challenges during operation, requiring further resources or adjustments.

An application has been made to the Secretary of State under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 (the “2008 Act”) and in accordance with the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 for an order granting development consent. The application was examined by a Panel of five members (“the Panel”) (appointed by the Secretary of State) in accordance with Chapter 4 of Part 6 of the 2008 Act, and the Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010. The Panel, having considered the application with the documents that accompanied the application, and the representations made and not withdrawn, has, in accordance with section 74(2) of the 2008 Act, submitted a report and recommendation to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has considered the representations made and not withdrawn and the report and the recommendation of the Panel. The Secretary of State has decided to make an Order granting development consent for the development described in the application with modifications that in the opinion of the Secretary of State do not make any substantial changes to the proposals comprised in the application. The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 114, 115, 120, 122 and 123 of, and paragraphs 1 to 4, 10 to 15, 17, 20, 22, 26, 30A, 30B, 32, 33, 36 and 37 of Schedule 5 to, the 2008 Act, makes the following Order.

This Order may be cited as the Associated British Ports (Immingham Green Energy Terminal) Order 2025 and comes into force on 27th February 2025.

In this Order, unless the context requires otherwise— “the 1847 Act” means the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847; “the 1961 Act” means the Land Compensation Act 1961; “the 1965 Act” means the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965; “the 1967 Act” means the Forestry Act 1967; “the 1980 Act” means the Highways Act 1980; “the 1981 Act” means the Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations) Act 1981; “the 1984 Act” means the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; “the 1990 Act” means the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; “the 1991 Act” means the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; “the 2003 Act” means the Communications Act 2003; “the 2008 Act” means the Planning Act 2008; “the 2009 Act” means the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009; “the 2010 Regulations” means the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010; “the 2017 Regulations” means the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental ImpactAssessment) Regulations 2017; “ancillary works” means the ancillary works described in Part 2 of Schedule 1 (authorised project) and any other works authorised by the Order which are not development within the meaning of section 32 (meaning of “development”) of the 2008 Act; “Air Products” means Air Products (BR) Limited (company number 02532156) whose registered office is at Hersham Place Technology Park, Molesey Road, Walton on Thames, Surrey KT12 4RZ or such other person as the Secretary of State agrees; “apparatus” has the same meaning as in Part 3 (street works in England and Wales) of the 1991 Act except that, unless otherwise provided, it further includes pipelines, aerial markers, cathodic protection test posts, field boundary markers, transformer rectifier kiosks, electricity cables, telecommunications equipment (including masts and cables), electricity cabinets and any pipe sleeves, ducts and culverts in which any apparatus is lodged; “area of jurisdiction” means so far as it falls within the UK marine area, the area extending to a distance of 186 metres in every direction from any part of Work No. 1; “authorised development” means the development described in Part 1 of Schedule 1 and any other development within the meaning of section 32 (meaning of “development”) of the 2008 Act authorised by this Order; “authorised project” means the authorised development and the ancillary works; “Board” means the North East Lindsey Drainage Board; “book of reference” means the document of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 (documents and plans to be certified) and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the book of reference for the purposes of this Order; “building” includes any structure or erection or any part of a building, structure or erection; “business day” means a day other than a Saturday or Sunday which is not Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday under section 1 (bank holidays) of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971; “carriageway” has the same meaning as in section 329(1) (further provision as to interpretation) of the 1980 Act; “Company” means Associated British Ports (company number ZC000195) whose registered office is at 25 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ES; “construct” includes execution, placing, altering, replacing, relaying and removal and “construction is to be construed accordingly; “deemed marine licence” means the marine licence granted by article 47 (deemed marine licence); “dock master” means the dock master for the Port of Immingham statutory harbour authority area; “the electronic communications code” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 (electronic communications networks and services) of Part 2 (networks, services and the radio spectrum) of the 2003 Act; “the electronic communications code network” means— (a) so much of an electronic communications network or infrastructure system provided by an electronic communications code operator as is not excluded from the application of the electronic communications code by a direction under section 106 (application of the electronic communications code) of the 2003 Act; and (b) an electronic communications network which the undertaker is providing or proposing to provide; “electronic transmission” means a communication transmitted by means of an electronic communications network or by other means provided it is in electronic form and in this definition “electronic communications network” has the same meaning as in section 32(1) (meaning of electronic communications networks and services) of the 2003 Act; “existing early works planning permission” means the planning permission granted by the relevant planning authority on 1 November 2024 with reference number DM/0326/24/FUL and any amendments or variations made or granted in respect of it pursuant to section 96A, section 73 (determination of applications to develop land without compliance with conditions previously attached), section 73A (planning permission for development already carried out) or section 73B (applications for permission not substantially different from existing permission) of the 1990 Act; “environmental statement” means the document of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the environmental statement for the purposes of this Order; “harbour master” means the harbour master for the Statutory Conservancy and Navigation Authority; “highway” and “highway authority” respectively have the same meaning as in section 328 (meaning of “highway”) and section 1 (highway authorities: general provision) of the 1980 Act; “land plans” means the plans of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which are certified by the Secretary of State as the land plans for the purposes of this Order; “level of high water” means the level of mean high-water springs; “Long Strip” means the area shown edged blue and labelled “Tree Preservation Order” on the plan of potentially affected hedgerows and trees subject to preservation orders; “Long Strip construction environmental management plan” means the document of that name identified in the table at Schedule 15 (documents and plans to be certified) and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the Long Strip construction environmental management plan for the purposes of this Order; “maintain” includes inspect, repair, adjust, alter, remove or reconstruct, provided such works do not give rise to any materially new or materially different environmental effects in comparison with those reported in the environmental statement, and any derivative of “maintain is to be construed accordingly; “MMO” means the Marine Management Organisation; “new early works planning permission” means any planning permission granted under the 1990 Act prior to the service of notice under article 55(3) for works also comprised in Work No. 2, Work No. 3, Work No 5 or Work No. 7 (including any further associated development to which paragraph 11 of Part 1 (authorised development) of Schedule 1 (authorised project) refers) or any part of them, and any amendments or variations made or granted in respect of such planning permission pursuant to section 96A (power to make non-material changes to planning permission or permission in principle), section 73, section 73A or section 73B of the 1990 Act, except an existing early works planning permission; “operational use” means the relevant part of the authorised project being in operation after construction and commissioning is complete; “Order land” means the land shown shaded pink, blue, green and purple and shown shaded and hatched blue (in each case) on the land plans and described in the book of reference; “Order limits” means the Order limits shown on the works plans within which the authorised development may be carried out; “owner”, in relation to land, has the same meaning as in section 7 (interpretation) of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981; “plan of potentially affected hedgerows and trees subject to preservation orders” means the plan of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the plan of potentially affected hedgerows and trees subject to preservation orders for the purposes of this Order; “Port of Immingham” means the statutory port estate including the Port of Immingham statutory harbour authority area; “relevant planning authority” means the local planning authority for the land in question, being North East Lincolnshire Council or any successor to it as the local planning authority; “requirements” means the requirements listed in Schedule 2 (requirements), and any reference to a numbered requirement is to be construed accordingly; “River Humber” means the tidal estuary from its mouth at the Spurn Peninsula to its confluence with the rivers Ouse and Trent; “sea” has the same meaning as that given at section 42(3) (UK marine area) of the 2009 Act; “Statutory Conservancy and Navigation Authority” means the statutory conservancy and navigation authority for the River Humber (as successor to the Conservancy Commissioners established under the Humber Conservancy Act 1868) and includes its role as competent harbour authority and local lighthouse authority for its statutory area; “statutory harbour authority” means the Company in its capacity as the local lighthouse authority and as the statutory harbour authority for the Port of Immingham including that part of the estuary of the River Humber immediately adjacent to that port; “statutory undertaker” means any statutory undertaker for the purposes of section 127(8) (statutory undertakers’ land) of the 2008 Act; “street” means a street within the meaning of section 48 (streets, street works and undertakers) of the 1991 Act, together with land on the verge of a street or between two carriageways, and includes any footpath; “street authority”, in relation to a street, has the same meaning as in section 49 (the street authority) of the 1991 Act; “street works” means the works listed in article 7 (street works); “stopping up and restriction of use of streets and public rights of way plan” means the plan of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the stopping up and restriction of use of streets and public rights of way plan for the purposes of this Order; “street works and accesses plan” means the plan of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which has been certified by the Secretary of State as the street works and accesses plan for the purposes of this Order; “traffic authority” has the same meaning as in section 121A (traffic authorities) of the 1984 Act; “tidal works” means so much of the authorised project as is on, under or over tidal waters or tidal lands below the level of high water; “Trinity House” means the Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond; “Upper Tribunal” means the Lands Chamber of the Upper Tribunal; “UK marine area” has the meaning given to it in section 42 (UK marine area) of the 2009 Act; “undertaker” means, subject to article 46 (benefit of the Order)— (a) the Company; (b) Air Products in respect of the following provisions— (i) article 19 (authority to survey and investigate the land); (ii) article 20 (protective works); (iii) article 0 (temporary use of land for constructing the authorised project); (iv) article 32 (temporary use of land for maintaining the authorised project), so far as they relate to the land shown as plots 3/2, 4/5, 4/7, 4/8, 4/9, 4/16, 4/17, 4/18, 4/19, 4/20, 4/21, 4/22, 4/23, 4/26, 4/28, 4/29, 4/30, 4/32, 5/3, 5/4, 5/7, 5/8, 5/10, 5/11, 5/12, 5/13, 5/14, 5/15, 5/18, 5/20, 5/22, 5/23, 5/24, 5/25, 5/27, 5/28, 5/29, 5/30, 5/32, 5/33, 5/36, 5/37, 5/38, 5/39, 5/45, 6/6, 6/14, 6/15, 6/16, 6/18, 6/19, 7/1, 7/2, 7/3, 7/4, 7/5, 7/6, 7/7, 7/8, 7/9, 7/10, 7/11, 7/12, 7/15, 7/16, 7/17, 7/18, 7/20, 7/21, 7/22 and 7/23 on the land plans and described in the book of reference and (where applicable on the terms of those provisions) land outside the Order limits except (in each aforementioned case) in respect of any interests of the Company; and (c) any person who has the benefit of the Order in accordance with section 156 (benefit of order granting development consent) of the 2008 Act; “vessel” means every description of vessel, however propelled or moved, and includes a displacement and non-displacement craft, a personal watercraft, a seaplane on the surface of the water, a hydrofoil vessel, a hovercraft or any other amphibious vehicle and any other thing constructed or adapted for movement through, in, on or over in water and which is at the time in, on, or over water; “watercourse” includes all rivers, streams, ditches, drains, canals, cuts, culverts, dykes, sluices, sewers and passages through which water flows except a public sewer or drain; and “works plans” means the plans of that description listed in the table at Schedule 15 and which are certified by the Secretary of State as the works plans for the purposes of this Order.

The following provisions do not apply in relation to activities carried out for the purpose of, or in connection with, the construction, maintenance, use or decommissioning of the authorised project— (a) section 23 (prohibition on obstructions etc. in watercourses) of the Land Drainage Act 1991; (b) the provisions of any byelaws made under section 66 (powers to make byelaws) of the Land Drainage Act 1991; (c) the provisions of any byelaws made under, or having effect as if made under, paragraph 5 of Schedule 25 (byelaw – making powers of the appropriate agency) to the Water Resources Act 1991; (d) regulation 12 (requirement for environmental permit) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 in respect of a flood risk activity only; and (e) the provisions of the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 insofar as they relate to temporary possession of land under articles 0 (temporary use of land for carrying out the authorised project) and 32 (temporary use of land for maintaining the authorised project) of this Order. Sections 25 (penalties for improper deposit of hard materials in the river) and 26 (no mud to be cast into the river except as Admiralty direct) of the River Humber Conservancy Act 1852, sections 5 (removal of obstructions) and 9 (licences for execution of works) of the Humber Conservancy Act 1899 and sections 6 (no erections in Humber below river lines or without licence above river lines) and 8 (sand not to be removed from bed or foreshore of River Humber without licence of Commissioners) of the Humber Conservancy Act 1905 do not apply to the authorised project.

The 1847 Act, except sections 5 to 13, 16 to 25, 47 to 50, 77, 79, 80, 85 to 102 and 104, so far as applicable for the purposes of and not inconsistent with this Order, is incorporated with and forms part of this Order, subject to the modifications set out in paragraph (2). For the purposes of the 1847 Act, as so incorporated— (a) the expression “the special Act” means this Order; (b) the expressions “the Promoters of the undertaking” and “the undertakers” have the meaning given to “the Company” in article 2(1) of this Order; (c) the expression “the harbour, dock or pier” means the area of jurisdiction; (d) the expression “the harbour master” so far as applicable to the authorised project, has the meaning given to “the dock master” in article 2(1) of this Order; (e) the meaning given to the word “vessel” by section 3 of the 1847 Act is substituted by that given to “vessel” in article 2(1) of this Order; (f) section 53 of the 1847 Act is not to be construed as requiring the dock master to serve on the master of a vessel a notice in writing of his directions but such directions may be given orally or otherwise communicated to such master; (g) reference in section 69 of the 1847 Act to “£2” is to be read as to “level 3 on the standard scale”; (h) section 33 of the 1847 Act, as so incorporated, must not be construed as derogating from the power of the dock master (which has the meaning given in article 2(1) of this Order) to discontinue any part of its undertaking; and (i) any requirement to comply with a notice or direction given by the harbour master is to be construed as including a requirement that, in complying with such notice or direction, a person who is subject to the notice or direction must also comply with any relevant notice or direction given by the dock master or the harbour master (which both have the meaning given in article 2(1) of this Order) in the exercise by either or both of them of any function conferred by or under any enactment (including this Order).

Subject to the provisions of this Order, including the requirements in Schedule 2 (requirements), the undertaker is granted— (a) development consent for the authorised development; and (b) consent for the ancillary works, to be carried out within the Order limits.