COUNCILLORS in Southampton will tomorrow be urged to back a revival of plans for a super-port at Dibden Bay.

The Labour group wants the Tory-run council to lobby for more jobs by supporting the controversial proposals which were blocked by the Government five years ago.

Labour councillors think the new planning rules will offer a chance to resurrect the plans, still harboured by port bosses, to develop the stretch of reclaimed land on the other side of Southampton Water.

In a statement the Labour group said: “The opportunity that the new Planning Act 2008 provides is for a reconsideration of the Dibden Bay proposals and the port of Southampton maintaining its key national and international role as a strategic port for the UK.

“The need for more employment is even more essential in the challenging times we are currently facing.”

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Locals and green campaigners objected fiercely to the original proposals which were supported by Southampton City Council. They sparked a 13-month public inquiry before then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott finally refused the £600m scheme on environmental grounds.

New Forest East MP Dr Julian Lewis said government ministers had assured him the new planning bill would have reached the same result, just quicker, as the “impact on biodiversity” would have been identified earlier.

Dr Lewis said to suggest, at a time of global economic downturn, an additional port when ABP were planning a huge extension of the existing terminal showed “these people had taken significant leave of their senses”.

A spokesperson for New Forest District Council said: “Development would still be considered inappropriate. In the light of the public inquiry there is no reason to consider that the recommendations by the inspector would be ignored.”

Southampton’s Tory planning chief Councillor Matt Dean added: “As an authority we have very serious reservations about being removed from the planning process in terms of democratic accountability. We don’t need another New Labour quango deciding [local] planning applications.”

ABP Port Director Doug Morrison said he was concentrating on “intensification”

of the existing terminal with plans to widen channels and boost capacity.

“There is no thoughts at the moment to put in a further application (for Dibden Bay),” he said.

“I have no doubt at some stage in the future that somebody, whoever is port director, will have to look at Dibden Bay.

“It’s a long-term ambition. We believe it will be a national need to expand Dibden Bay.

“We welcome support for Dibden Bay wherever it comes from.”