So yet another consultation period begins with slightly modified requirements re community and port employee participation which the DHB bid has incorporated from the beginning so would not imagine that it will trouble them. They stated that the proposed £10m initial payment to the community plus the ongoing benefits will all come out of the sum paid to government so it is up to the latter whether they accept it. Perhaps these modified requirements are aimed at new bidders.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechesstatements/statements/hammond20110516
Incidentally, in addition to the top table at the Ark as shown above, there was another table for four additional members of the board. I was very interested to see that one of these was the legendary railwayman Chris Green who has been described as "the best chairman BR never had." It was he who created Network Southeast then ran InterCity and has since managed ScotRail and Virgin Trains, amongst a host of other things.