Protests against port expansion
SHOTLEY would get none of the benefits and all of the drawbacks of a monster port development at Harwich, a councillor said today.Penny Clarke, district councillor for Shotley Peninsular, was commenting following a Babergh District Council strategy meeting which discussed the multi-million pound port development.
SHOTLEY would get none of the benefits and all of the drawbacks of a monster port development at Harwich, a councillor said today.
Penny Clarke, district councillor for Shotley Peninsular, was commenting following a Babergh District Council strategy meeting which discussed the multi-million pound port development.
Babergh Council had been invited by Tending District Council to comment on the proposals of the container terminal near Harwich which would have significant impact on Shotley residents.
At the meeting Ms Clarke raised her concerns of the impact on residents. She earlier told The Star: "I don't see any benefits (of the development) except a handful of people would be able to get jobs."
She said if the port does get the green light, she urged the maximum moves to be put in place to lessening the blow on residents. If the Bathside Bay project gets the go ahead it would become the UK's second largest container port after Felixstowe.
In a report to Babergh's strategy committee Neil Greig, head of planning policy and development, and Malcolm Firth, head of environmental services, argued that the development could have serious consequences for the coastline on its side of the Stour/Orwell estuary and for the community living at Shotley Gate.
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The report outlined a range of issues from the destruction of salt marshes to noise and light pollution.
Assessments made no secret of the fact that the highest rates of erosion in the estuary system are at Shotley and the development is likely to increase wave action, thus increasing the likely erosion. The wash from an increased number of larger ships would add to the problem.
Meanwhile campaigners remain steadfastly opposed to the project. Kathy Shelbourne of Shotley campaign group Starboard, said: "We are utterly opposed to the development of Bathside and are sure Babergh will be taking up our complaint of noise pollution, light pollution and airborne particle pollution. The container port would be seriously detrimental to our quality of life."
