Ghost Ships
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Campaigners call for delay to ships decision
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners are calling on planning officials to delay considerations of the application to dismantle the "Ghost Ships".
Friends of the Earth has made a last-ditch effort to persuade Hartlepool Borough Council's planning committee to wait until the outcome of the planning inquiry before making a decision at today's meeting.
Councillors will reconsider four applications from Able UK seeking permission to begin dismantling work at its Graythorp site, near Seaton Carew, Hartlepool.
All four applications were originally rejected by the council, and one is the subject of a planning inquiry after Able UK appealed against the refusal in October last year.
Able UK wants to extend its yard and create the Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre (Terrc) to dismantle and recycle the unwanted ships.
In a letter to the committee, Phil Michaels, from Friends of the Earth, said: "We are concerned that, having deferred consideration of the application at its recent meeting, the committee is now proposing to proceed to determine the application.
"Our understanding, from the previous meeting, was that the council had decided to defer determination on the basis that the current, and parallel, planning inquiry provided a proper forum to allow the many serious environmental concerns at issue in this case to be properly aired and for the evidence of the developer to be tested in a context of inquiry and cross-examination.
"That was, with respect, an appropriate and reasonable course for the council to have taken."
A council spokesman said the letter will be drawn to the attention of the planning committee at today's meeting.
The inquiry was adjourned to Wednesday for representatives to make closing speeches.
4:05am Thursday 25th October 2007
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