Fury as Bathside Bay development stalled by inquiry (From Essex County Standard)
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Fury as Bathside Bay development stalled by Secretary of State inquiry
2:11pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By Helen Barnett
Fury as Bathside Bay development stalled by inquiry
A MULTI-MILLION pound redevelopment of Bathside Bay has been delayed after the Government decided to stage a public inquiry.
Harwich residents have had their “hopes dashed” after the Secretary of State called for an investigation into changing the planning conditions for container port project Bathside Bay.
Hutchison Ports want to decouple the condition that it must upgrade the A120 before it develops the port, so it can carry out the first stage of regeneration which will kick start industry until the economy improves.
The Bathside Bay project would see the area turned into a container port terminal. Plans have been put back until the economy improved but installing a platform as the first part of the development would bring temporary opportunities to the town such as from the wind farm industry.
The Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government now wants an inquiry into whether these opportunities would be to the detriment of the Bathside Bay container port, despite the plan being agreed by Tendring Council 18 months ago.
Council leaders are furious at the decision.
Tendring Council leader Neil Stock said: “We thought the Government wants to encourage the creation of jobs, investment and new skills in areas such as Tendring which need them so badly.
“However, the decision to stage a public inquiry over Bathside Bay flies in the face of what they have been saying and I am both angry and frustrated.
“I am extremely disappointed the people living in our district have had their hopes dashed again.
“There is every expectation this will put this project back several years and we will be left waiting to find out if and when it will get the go-ahead.”
Comments(6)
braeside
says...
8:28am Thu 1 Nov 12
forget the windfarm business that is short term jobs, with the container port there could be in excess of 1,000 new jobs for men and women.
wake up not bathside development no work, dose Harwich want to go like frinton walton and clacton old age town
LasNap
says...
11:30am Sun 4 Nov 12
How many jobs then?
1000 jobs, where do you get this figure from.
Once built is the amount of jobs you should be looking at.
braeside
says...
2:44pm Sun 4 Nov 12
you have to also look at the boarder agency they will need people, tugs as well, and catering. so work it out, look at how many people were employed when fords and mercades brought cars in through the port.
and anyway who says the port will be fully automated, not the port operators or their parent company, its
the same thing in Harwich speculation. like with the wind farm business was going to revive the town and look at the town
Porgan
says...
2:35pm Mon 26 Nov 12
braeside
says...
7:20pm Mon 26 Nov 12
the appeal is not withdrawn they are interested in developing a container port, and make a profit, wake up so called porgan the port will be built or harwich will die
Boris says...
12:14am Thu 1 Nov 12
For every resident whose hopes have been dashed, there is another resident who will be happy that the arguments for and against this project will be examined by an independent person.
Mr. Stock should put his own house in order before he starts trying to impose his views on local residents.