PLANS for a £300m expansion of Teesport that could bring up to 5,500 jobs to the region have been boosted by two reports issued to the Government.

Port operator PD Ports have hailed the Eddington report on transport and Barker planning report as a huge boost to its plans for a deep sea container terminal on the Tees.

PD's plans would enable the region to receive container goods from the Far East directly, taking an estimated 70 million lorry miles off the roads each year.

Yesterday's Barker report said the present planning process could be responsible for holding back the UK's economic development.

Last week's Eddington report also appeared to back PD's argument, saying that better means of transporting goods within the UK were needed to cut queuing traffic on the roads and carbon dioxide emissions. It also recommended the need to improve access to ports.

Last night, a PD ports spokesman said the company welcomed the reports.

"What both the Eddington and Barker reports suggest would be a welcome piece of common sense," he said. "When plans for major transport projects for roads, airports, or in our case port developments, are first outlined, we would be able to get an early indication one way or the other as to whether the plan meets the overall country's agenda and needs."

The Northern Echo is supporting PD's plans through the Support Our Port campaign.