Shipyard boss insists houses may be ‘disaster’
PLANS for a new housing estate close to Appledore Shipyard are a ‘disaster waiting to happen’ for the future of the yard, its boss has warned.
John Wood, chief executive of Harland and Wolff, Appledore’s owners, said the Baker Estates development on Wooda Road, Appledore, would create future issues for the business due to the new estate’s drainage issues and proximity to the site.
The Baker Estates development plans, which involve the building of 88 homes on Wooda Road, were granted planning permission by Torridge District Council’s planning committee in March this year.
Mr Wood said the development was bound to lead to noise complaints from new tenants, with the nearest dwelling sitting approximately 330 metres from the yard. He said: “I think developing housing in close proximity to an industrial shipyard is an absolute disaster waiting to happen.
“The residents will start to complain about noise, and they’ll start to complain about all the industrial work that goes on 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a shipyard.
“Speaking personally, I have no intention to work quieter. When we arrived in Appledore, it was pretty much a done deal,” he added.
“If we had been here earlier, we would have certainly put in a lot more objection.
“We’ve certainly expressed our view to Baker Estates, but it seemed to be harpering on regardless.”
Harland and Wolff purchased Appledore Shipyard in August, 2020, spending over £4.5 million to restore the site.
The shipyard has been a pillar of the Appledore community since 1855 and started accepting vessels, under its new owners in March this year.
Currently employing 35 staff, mostly from the local area, the yard recently announced huge ambitions to attract over £2 billion of national and international contracts, while offering services to local vessels.
An Environmental Protection Officer stated, in an April 2021 delegated report, that conditions for Baker Estates to implement noise mitigation measures had been met within the plans.
Mr Wood said, with the hopes of the site growing as a shipyard and recruiter, issues concerning the shipyard and Baker Estates were likely to come to a head in the future.
He added: “When you look at local communities like Appledore, and the whole of North Devon, that really need jobs and others area they could have built houses on, why would you build a housing estate next to a shipyard that could be employing 1,500 people? It just makes no sense whatsoever.
“It just shows the appetite that local councils have got for industrial development and social and economic benefit when they go and approve silly schemes like that – so close to industrial zones.”
In July, residents gathered at Northam Visitor Centre to protest the closure of Pitt Lane, which would have cut off 239 dwellings from the village under plans by Baker Estates.
The developer has since built a new road, which became available to road users from November 1.
Mr Wood said the site had not suffered any setbacks since development began this year. However, the shipyard had refused to assist Baker Estates in draining off the site.
He said: “We’ve had no issues at the moment but that’s not to say we won’t in the future.
“I do believe they’ve got a serious drainage issue, and issues with running drainage off, hence why they wanted to run the drainage down through the shipyard – which we’ve refused.”
Baker Estates has been approached for comment.
After permission for the housing development was granted, Graham Hutton, development director at Baker Estates, said: “We are delighted to receive detailed planning consent from Torridge District Council to build what we expect to be a stunning development. He said there would be a “mix of homes”.
He added: “We have received considerable buyer interest since the plans went live, so we know there’s demand for these type of quality homes.”
The Appledore Residents Association said, during the planning process, it wanted more local infrastructrure before the homes were built.