WORK on a multi-million pound project which has been mooted for more than 30 years could finally start at the end of this month.

Hutchison Ports is looking to vary eight of the conditions which formed part of the 2013 planning permission for Bathside Bay to allow it to make a phased start by the end of the month.

The project, estimated to cost in the region of £300 million decades ago, would see the area turned into a container port terminal with the potential to create more than 700 jobs.

The original planning conditions required details of the scheme to be submitted to and approved by Tendring Council before any development begins.

They stated that no work on the development could be commenced until detailed works for the improvement of the A12, A120 and the A1232 Ardleigh Crown Interchange have been approved.

This also included improvements of the A120 Parkeston Road, Station Road and Europa Way roundabout.

The original conditions also mentioned that no part of the development “shall be commenced until a scheme for noise attenuation measures” has been approved to mitigate the impact of traffic noise.

But there are plans to amend the conditions so approval is only required before they “commence operation” of the container port.

This means Hutchison Ports wants to begin workings at Bathside Bay now but only operate the container terminal once all the conditions have been met.

The planning application reads: “The applicant has proposed the wording of these conditions is changed so an initial phase of the development can commence without these conditions having to be discharged first.”

Harwich mayor Ivan Henderson said: “We have been supportive of that because it is good news to see they are making a start.

“It is sending a message out to say Bathside Bay is beginning to take shape and the first stage is starting.

“But we will be making sure any other compensation that Hutchison Ports have to provide they do deliver when they are required to.

“With our reliance on energy from Russia there is not a better time to encourage green clean energy and Harwich can play a major part and give us future energy security.”