8 November 2011
In contrast to slow growth in the national economy, the thriving grain exporting business operated through the silos on Shoreham Port’s Brighton Terminal is about to take a giant leap forward. Chichester-based Bartholomews Agri Food, and its sister company, Shoreham Silo Services, have made a decisive move to double the capacity of the grain exporting facility by building a dedicated grain storage and handling facility on land next-door to the silos.
The new ‘Dutch Barn’ style building will have a floor plan area of 41,000 sq ft and be fitted with state-of-the art equipment to handle grain and other farm products to the highest standards of food safety and cleanliness. Andrea Wadsley from Bartholomews said “This is a huge step forward for agriculture in the south of England as the facility will handle crops grown in Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire and shows how confident Bartholomews Agri Food is about the export opportunities that exist to the benefit of the arable farming industry in its region. Speed, cleanliness and efficiency are all-important when it comes to exporting food products like cereals and oil seed rape and this new facility will enable us to serve our farmers much more effectively”.
Work on the new facility began this week when the local contractor for the works, Adenstar, of Portslade began the demolition of the old Transit Shed No. 5 to make way for the new building. Completion of the new grain exporting shed is set for July 2012 in time for next year’s harvest season.
To replace the undercover storage of shed 5, Shoreham Port are extending two existing sheds on their Outer Lay-by Terminal. The new space will be a great improvement on the old shed and will ensure that timber can continue to be handled in a quick and efficient manner for our customers.
Peter Davies, Shoreham Port Development Director said “Shoreham Silo Services are a highly valued customer and tenant of the Port and their decision to expand their operation further cements the already strong partnership between us. The scheme fits well with Shoreham Port’s Masterplan, which itself is designed to help provide greater certainty to tenants like Shoreham Silos and other stakeholders”. To download a copy of Shoreham Port’s Masterplan please click here.
