Around 500 new jobs could be created if a massive new warehouse is given the go-ahead close to Britain’s biggest port.

The warehouse will cover 11 acres of land and the development is expected to cost more than £45million.

Uniserve took up a 26-acre site on Clickett Hill, next to the A14 Port of Felixstowe Road, Trimley St Mary, four years ago and has been developing its plans ready for an application to Suffolk Coastal District Council.

Full details will go on show today at a public consultation exhibition from 3pm to 7pm at the Orwell Hotel, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe.

Directors of both Uniserve and the design team will be available to discuss the proposals and answer questions.

Uniserve says the development will be a new state-of-the-art port-related warehouse facility with a ground floor area of 510,000 sq ft.

In a letter to Trimley St Mary Parish Council, the company said: “We believe the project is positive news for the area as the development will provide a notable boost to the local economy by generating approximately 500 additional local jobs as well as supporting the existing and future business of the Port of Felixstowe.”

Early versions of the plan included secure storage for hundreds of containers and 70,000 pallets, lorry parking and refuelling, and offices.

It would have direct links to the port, and the warehouse would be a port-centric operation – a high-quality “one-stop shop” for the importing, repacking and distribution of goods specifically to their destination.

This will not only cut hundreds of thousands of road miles from the cargo network transport, but deliver cost savings, reduced carbon emissions and enhanced speed of service.

Not only are the port quays only half a mile away, there is also easy access to the rail network.

Extra logistics space to house warehouses for distribution and storage has been a major need for the port.

Its newest rival, London Gateway, which is due to start operating before the end of the year, will boast one of the largest distribution centres in Europe.