DESPITE an ongoing legal battle to block the dismantling of one of its aircraft carriers in this country, the French navy has applied for permission to dock the vessel in the North-East.

The Environment Agency confirmed yesterday that it has received an application to move the Clemenceau from Brest, France, to Able UK Limited’s facilities in Graythorp, Hartlepool, for dismantling and recovery.

Campaigners from the Friends of Hartlepool are taking their battle to the High Court to stop the vessel, which contains asbestos, from being dismantled.

They are attempting to overturn a ruling by the Health and Safety Executive to allow the ship to come to the region.

The French navy support service – Service de Soutien de la Flotte – is required to make the application under European Waste Shipment Regulations (WSR), which controls the international movement of waste.

Under WSR procedures, consent is needed from the Environment Agency and its counterpart French regulator DRIRE Bretagne, before the ship can be moved.

The consent is one of several permissions that must be in place before the ship can be moved.

Bob Pailor, of the Environment Agency, said: “The Environment Agency now has 30 days to make a decision on the application.

“If granted, a permit to import this waste ship is valid for 12 months.

“We determine each application in accordance with the requirements of the Waste Shipments Regulation, which includes consideration of whether the facility has the permits in place to complete environmentally sound recovery.”

Following a public consultation, the Environment Agency issued a licence to Able UK Limited in June, allowing the company to dismantle ships and marine structures such as oil rigs at its facility in Graythorp.

Able UK Ltd also has planning permission to use the Graythorp site for the construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of all types of ships, vessels and marine structures.

The licence authorises the keeping, treating, or disposal of controlled waste. Able UK’s licence contains conditions to ensure the activities do not pollute the environment or cause harm to human health.