Ghost Ships
Anger flares over ghost ships ruling
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| BOILING POINT: Members of the public angry at not being allowed to speak during yesterday's meeting about the ghost ships |
A FOUR-YEAR fight over the fate of the controversial "ghost ships" appeared to be over last night after planners gave permission for the world's biggest dry dock to be built.
Able UK - the firm behind the scheme - claimed the dock would create thousands of jobs and attract millions of pounds of investment to the North-East.
The decision was taken after a chaotic five-hour planning meeting in Hartlepool, during which police were called and members of the public ejected.
Despite the apparent victory, Able UK still has one final hurdle to clear when it seeks a licence from the Environment Agency to dismantle the rusting hulks that were once auxiliary ships for the US navy.
Opponents of the scheme remained defiant last night and said they would seek legal advice over the possibility of mounting a judicial review.
The four applications to create the Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre (TERRC) at Able UK's Graythorp site, near Seaton Carew, were granted conditional approval by Hartlepool Borough Council's planning committee.
They were originally rejected by the council, which later agreed to re-examine them.
One of the applications remains the subject of an ongoing planning inquiry, after Able UK appealed against the refusal last October.
Peter Stephenson, chief executive of Able UK, welcomed the decision, saying it would open up huge opportunities to attract international contracts, together with hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of investment.
He said: "Now we can at last start to establish the Tees Valley as world-class centre for the marine and renewable energy industries of the 21st Century.
"It means that at last we can move ahead with our plans to exploit the enormous potential of TERRC for a huge range of marine-related and renewable energy activities.
"We aim to begin work as soon as possible on the works needed to clinch major construction contracts, which can bring around 1,500 jobs to the area over the next two years.
"However, our task now is to move on as quickly as possible to begin the major investment in upgrading the facilities at the yard, and exploit the enormous potential of the largest dry dock in the world.
"It is a yard with a proud history and we are confident it can now have a great future."
Mike Young, spokesman for the Friends of Hartlepool, said that despite the decision the battle was not over.
He said: "The council have made an informed decision based on the information they have received, but we think it has been fundamentally flawed.
"We are considering our position now and will be seeking legal advice, and perhaps going for a judicial review."
Peter Tweddle, of Friends of the Earth, said: "We just think it is a sad day for Hartlepool overall. I don't think it will make Hartlepool a better place - in fact I think it will go against them."
The council meeting had to be adjourned at one point while the police were called to deal with constant interruptions from some members of the public.
Councillors said they were keen to make a decision on the applications, despite the on-going planning inquiry - which was adjourned until Wednesday.
After three members declared interests and left the meeting, councillors voted unanimously in favour of the applications.
They agreed with the officers' recommendations but also added that activity at the site must be independently monitored - 365 days a year - by an officer paid for by Able UK.
The applications will allow Able UK to carry out the construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of all types of ships, vessels and other craft, and for the manufacture of wind turbines - as well as the storage of hazardous waste substances on site.
Councillor Pauline Laffey said: "I have had many people coming to me supporting this application. We will be watching you Able UK.
"This is the best thing for Hartlepool, I sincerely believe that and I hope it will bring prosperity to Hartlepool."
Coun Shaun Cook said: "I would encourage any members of the public to swap places with us. We have been called numerous names by people, but I think there are more people in favour than against.
"I am doing my best for Hartlepool, to the best of my ability."
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2:06am Friday 26th October 2007
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CommentPosted by: Rob Tucker, Middlesbrough on 1:14pm Fri 26 Oct 07
Able UK did not have the waste disposal licenses in place, a dry dock built or planning permission for it. It is a small boat yard with no experience of ship dismantling, going for this contract was highly speculative. Able UK is sited 300m from a nature reserve. Hartlepool has gained a reputation for leisure and tourism and with the tall ships event being hosted in 2010 is this the image for the town?
The number of jobs created by these projects is always exaggerated.
Able UK did not have the waste disposal licenses in place, a dry dock built or planning permission for it. It is a small boat yard with no experience of ship dismantling, going for this contract was highly speculative. Able UK is sited 300m from a nature reserve. Hartlepool has gained a reputation for leisure and tourism and with the tall ships event being hosted in 2010 is this the image for the town?
The number of jobs created by these projects is always exaggerated.
Posted by: Neil Marley, Hartlepool on 2:12pm Fri 26 Oct 07
This appears to be the depleted uranium tip of a rather nasty iceberg!
The following makes interesting reading, especially bearing in mind Able UK's threats of litigation against the council. My guess is that if the firm is not looking to break nuclear subs they would have had something to say about the claims made here:
Ministry agonises over fate of nuclear subs
The Guardian, October 18, 2003
·The navy has a total of 27 nuclear-powered submarines and three on order
·16 remain in service, including the four Trident submarines carrying the UK nuclear deterrent
·11 are floating hulks kept in naval dockyards - seven at Rosyth in Scotland and four at Devonport at Plymouth
·The most elderly is the Dreadnought, brought into service in 1960 and berthed at Rosyth since 1983
·By 2012 so many subs will be out of service that there will be no mooring places left
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/guardianpoliti
cs/story/0,3605,1065
741,00.html
Scrapped US ships left high and dry in Teesside boatyard. The Guardian, Monday May 16, 2005
Able UK, which wants to break up boats, including former nuclear submarines, from around Europe, has the backing of the environment minister, Elliot Morley, who has declared the proposed site "the most environmentally suitable", as well as trade unions, Greenpeace and Peter Mandelson, the town's ex-MP and now EU trade commissioner.
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk_news/story/
0,3604,1484563,00.ht
ml
This appears to be the depleted uranium tip of a rather nasty iceberg!
The following makes interesting reading, especially bearing in mind Able UK's threats of litigation against the council. My guess is that if the firm is not looking to break nuclear subs they would have had something to say about the claims made here:
Ministry agonises over fate of nuclear subs
The Guardian, October 18, 2003
·The navy has a total of 27 nuclear-powered submarines and three on order
·16 remain in service, including the four Trident submarines carrying the UK nuclear deterrent
·11 are floating hulks kept in naval dockyards - seven at Rosyth in Scotland and four at Devonport at Plymouth
·The most elderly is the Dreadnought, brought into service in 1960 and berthed at Rosyth since 1983
·By 2012 so many subs will be out of service that there will be no mooring places left
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/guardianpoliti
cs/story/0,3605,1065
741,00.html
Scrapped US ships left high and dry in Teesside boatyard. The Guardian, Monday May 16, 2005
Able UK, which wants to break up boats, including former nuclear submarines, from around Europe, has the backing of the environment minister, Elliot Morley, who has declared the proposed site "the most environmentally suitable", as well as trade unions, Greenpeace and Peter Mandelson, the town's ex-MP and now EU trade commissioner.
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/uk_news/story/
0,3604,1484563,00.ht
ml
Posted by: adamcook, Hartlepool on 5:59pm Fri 26 Oct 07
I personally cannot see why certain members of the public are annoyed and outraged at this decision. It's an amazing opportunity for Hartlepool to re-establish it's docks as one of the most efficient in Britain.
I am very sure that the councillors that passed this decision were thinking about safety every step of the way! There has been an arrangment set into place that an independant safety inspector will be employed as part of the reason the proposal was passed. As an employee of the Hartlepool Powerstation i realise how much safety is important.Constant asbestos checks and safety checks for contamination are carried out.So i am quite confident that the same safety measures will be employed when it comes to the "Ghost Ships". If the public are indeed worried about asbestos then they should be worried about the whole of Tioxide!
As a final point i would like to say i am very disgusted in the abuse that the councillors received during the long meeting. One of the comments i believe to have been said was "You don't know what it's like you don't have kids". This is an unbelievable comment! I know for a fact that the councillors have kids. I'm sure they have neices, nephews, grandkids etc. Family is a main concern for the councillors. For example Councillor Shaun Cook (Rossmere Ward) missed a family funeral to attend this meeting under the belief that he was helping out the town.Imagine the devistation as the town that he was trying to help out hurled abuse at him!
Who elected people such as Iris Ryder and Jean Kennedy to the status of MP's for the town? No one! What makes all of these people experts in the dismantling of ships?
If you want the township of Hartlepool to do well then get behind this decision because this is going to be a golden opportunity for jobs and investments for the future of the dock,town and the community!
I personally cannot see why certain members of the public are annoyed and outraged at this decision. It's an amazing opportunity for Hartlepool to re-establish it's docks as one of the most efficient in Britain.
I am very sure that the councillors that passed this decision were thinking about safety every step of the way! There has been an arrangment set into place that an independant safety inspector will be employed as part of the reason the proposal was passed. As an employee of the Hartlepool Powerstation i realise how much safety is important.Constant asbestos checks and safety checks for contamination are carried out.So i am quite confident that the same safety measures will be employed when it comes to the "Ghost Ships". If the public are indeed worried about asbestos then they should be worried about the whole of Tioxide!
As a final point i would like to say i am very disgusted in the abuse that the councillors received during the long meeting. One of the comments i believe to have been said was "You don't know what it's like you don't have kids". This is an unbelievable comment! I know for a fact that the councillors have kids. I'm sure they have neices, nephews, grandkids etc. Family is a main concern for the councillors. For example Councillor Shaun Cook (Rossmere Ward) missed a family funeral to attend this meeting under the belief that he was helping out the town.Imagine the devistation as the town that he was trying to help out hurled abuse at him!
Who elected people such as Iris Ryder and Jean Kennedy to the status of MP's for the town? No one! What makes all of these people experts in the dismantling of ships?
If you want the township of Hartlepool to do well then get behind this decision because this is going to be a golden opportunity for jobs and investments for the future of the dock,town and the community!
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