THE future redevelopment of the Port of Dover is to become the responsibility of Swindon-based civil engineers Halcrow.

The Burderop Park-based company has been appointed by the Dover Harbour Board to help shape the Kent port's future, as demand for its services begins to outstrip capacity.

The company declined to say how much the contract was worth.

It will now prepare a master plan, looking at ways of maximising the harbour's potential capacity and, if necessary, to propose new capacity outside the existing harbour walls.

During the first phase of the project the team will consult port users, local and national authorities, industry experts and the community. The second phase will involve optimising the existing harbour to help meet the conclusions of phase one.

Subsequent phases will investigate how the port could be expanded. Halcrow's project manager, Martin Mannion, said: "The Halcrow-led team will be working towards developing a vision for the Port of Dover in particular of the port's development over the next 30 years. The project is critical in ensuring that Dover can meet the expected growth in traffic and that its customers continue to receive the high level of service they have come to expect."