Colchester: Twelve dock jobs saved

The opening of a new terminal at Ipswich means the Col Dock workers will have jobs to go to when the port closes next year.

But Colchester Council chiefs on Friday refused to disclose the amount of compensation awarded to businesses threatened by the imminent closure.

Colchester Council has given a "significant amount" to Col Dock, an officer said.

Discussions are still going on with neighbouring shipping broker W Fieldgate and Son, which has been forced to make two employees redundant, leaving it with a just three staff.

A Parliamentary Bill to close the ancient harbour, which lost more than £240,000 in 1998/99 is making its way through Westminster.

It should be completed by the autumn and the port closed by March/April next year.

Terry Sutton, council portfolio holder for transport, said the compensation details were confidential as the Bill had not yet gone through Parliament.

He accepted there was public interest in knowing how much was being paid, but said figures would not be released until the process was complete.

Although Col Dock will not be able to use Colchester's historic harbour, it plans to keep open its Hythe operation and retain its premises for import and export use.

Col Dock port manager Tom Docherty said the firm was delighted it had been able to save the jobs of their workers.

"Having recognised we were going to lose our river access we did not drop out and give up. We got together with Colchester Council and worked it very well."

Roger Hanks, a director at W Fieldgate, said the firm's six years at Colchester had been an uphill struggle.

He said although two workers had to be laid off, he hoped they could continue a smaller scale business in Colchester.

He added: "We are still up and running and we are still reasonably optimistic that we can carry on with a small operation in warehousing."

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