Middle Wharf expressions of interest

The Port of London Authority (PLA) is working with Thames Water (TWUL) to reactivate Middle Wharf following the completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme and we are seeking written expressions of interest from cargo-handling operators to work towards the wharf’s return to cargo-handling uses.

Middle Wharf is a Safeguarded Wharf in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is owned by TWUL and has been used, together with the adjacent Heathwall Pumping Station site, to construct the Thames Tideway Tunnel Scheme. This work is ongoing and the wharf is not expected to be available for cargo-handling uses until mid-2025, by which time almost 55,000 tonnes of cargo will have be handled from the worksite of which it forms part.

Middle Wharf is one of the best placed wharves in the West London sub-region and it can contribute significantly to the modal shift of cargoes from road to water, consistent with London Plan policy. The PLA is working in partnership with TWUL to actively find the most appropriate approach to reactivating the wharf and want to develop proposals to reactivate the wharf with a suitable operator.

Middle Wharf extends to approximately 0.08 hectares and is located upstream of Vauxhall Bridge. The safeguarding direction and plan showing the extent of the wharf are attached. Access is from Nine Elms Lane. Navigational access to the wharf is indicated on the attached chart extract (from PLA Chart 315 – Nine Elms Reach) and tidal details are as follows: -

• Mean High Water Springs - +6.47 metres CD.
• Mean High Water - +5.87 metres CD.
• Mean High Water Neaps - +5.27 metres CD.
• Mean Low Water Neaps - +0.94 metres CD.
• Mean Low Water Springs - +0.32 metres CD.

The selected operator will be expected to work fully with the PLA and TW in pursuit of the wharf’s reactivation for waterborne cargo-handling in accordance with the policies in the London Plan and the future operational requirements of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Cargo-handling operations at the wharf will be subject to ongoing Tideway and TWUL maintenance requirements, as shown on the attached drawing, in terms of both area and frequency. The areas required to accommodate this activity must be made available by agreement with the operator when required in accordance with the planned maintenance schedule and operators may want to consider the location and permanency of any plant and equipment on this basis. Unplanned/emergency access may be required, and a protocol governing access in the event of an emergency will need to be agreed with TWUL. Any commercial agreement between TWUL and the operator for the wharf will reflect the need to access the site during these maintenance activities. A new Thames Path at the riverward end of the site was also part of the Tideway scheme, but the path will be closed during any cargo-handling operations from vessels to the wharf itself. Notwithstanding these constraints, the Mayor of London has confirmed, following a submission by Tideway, that the wharf continues to be viable for cargo-handling.

The PLA and TW are seeking details of cargo-handling operators’ initial technical and functional requirements and will look to explore with potential operators how these can best be accommodated at Middle Wharf to achieve a responsive, design approach which reduces as far as possible any harm to the surrounding area, including the amenity of surrounding uses and seeking to accommodate the Thames Tideway Tunnel operation and maintenance constraints. Accordingly, any outline proposals for new marine infrastructure, including jetties and dredging the operator expects to require at Middle Wharf should be submitted with any expression of interest.

The preferred operator will be selected on the basis of best compatibility with a range of selection criteria. Accordingly, submissions should focus on how the proposed operations at the wharf best comply with these selection criteria. In addition, the company’s recent financial and trading details should be provided, together with any further information the operator considers relevant to the consideration of their expression of interest.

Selection Criteria

Cargo-Handling Proposals

Details – or assumptions - of the operations proposed at the Wharf should be provided. Specifically, details on the type and nature of proposed operations, both on the Wharf and at the berth (or any proposed new marine infrastructure); vessels to be utilised (including likely dimensions and arrivals/departures from the berth); cargo sources and destinations from the Wharf, including those any added value processes proposed to be undertaken; total land area required for the proposed operations (if use of the whole site is not required); best estimate (if known) of cargo volumes to/from the Wharf, including splits between waterborne and road modes for materials to and from the Wharf; and details of any other infrastructure required to facilitate the proposed operations.

Planning permission for reactivation will need to be secured in due course. In promoting a planning application, the selected operator will need to be prepared to consider design flexibility when determining scale, layout and arrangement of elements. The PLA and TW would wish to explore and agree design guidelines and requirements for the Wharf, together with the selected operator and the Local Planning Authority so as to achieve an acceptable design approach to accommodate reactivation, having regard to the operational and maintenance constraints of the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme, the surrounding area, land uses and other relevant planning considerations.

Financial Proposals

Details of the operator’s financial position and previous trading are – as noted above – required. Annual reports and other financial information are welcome and will be treated as confidential if requested.

Viability

Information – or assumptions underpinning the expression of interest – as to the current and future viability of the proposed operations at the Wharf should be provided. Specifically, details on target markets and products; opportunities to develop new waterborne trade at or in the vicinity of the wharf; the creation of synergies with existing cargo-handling operations within the Port of London.

Written submissions addressing all these issues should be made to me no later than 14 October 2024. Any questions should be directed to myself or to Lucy Owen, the Deputy Director of Planning and Development ([email protected]) in the first instance. Please note that the PLA and TWUL are under no obligation to accept any submitted response and retain the right to discontinue the procurement of an operator should the wharf be reactivated by other means or detailed feasibility assessments reveal that the use of the Wharf is not viable for use in the manner proposed by the selected operator.

The PLA hopes that this represents an interesting opportunity to operators within and new to the Port of London and we look forward to hearing from operators accordingly.