PDE Consulting Limited recently prepared a planning application on behalf of FM Conway for the installation of two additional bitumen tanks, a load out gantry, and the installation of a bitumen emulsion plant and alternative car parking on land at Imperial Wharf, Clifton Marine Parade, Gravesend, Kent.
The application was submitted to Gravesham Borough Council and validated on 11 July 2022.
Should planning permission be granted, the development will increase the resilience of the established bitumen storage facility through the provision of additional bitumen storage capacity, safeguarding against delays in bitumen shipments and ensuring a consistent supply of bitumen for the region’s needs.
The development would also play a significant national role in building resilience in the UK. While demand for bitumen in the UK is fairly constant, there are only two UK refineries that produce bitumen with the remainder of the demand met by importation from mainland Europe. Due to the significant number of closures of European refineries, the need to increase resilience is particularly pertinent in the current global climate with supply chains struggling to keep up with demand post-Covid, leading to widespread delays in the supply of goods.
