16/05/2005 - Officers
at the Environment Agency have objected to
a planning application submitted by Able UK
for Graythorp Dock in Hartlepool due to a
lack of information.
The application includes a range of proposals
including the dismantling and refurbishment
of ships at the site.
But Environment Agency officers believe there
is insufficient information in the Environmental
Impact Assessment supplied by Able UK as part
of the planning application.
The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee
in the planning process which is being led
by Hartlepool Borough Council.
The team has asked the council to delay their
decision on the application until the necessary
information has been provided.
Craig McGarvey, area manager for the Environment
Agency said: "We are concerned about
the lack of information in some areas of the
application and as a result, we cannot support
the plan.
"Our priority is to safeguard the environment.
At the moment we are uncertain whether the
impact of these proposals has been properly
assessed. There must be minimum impact on
the environment and at this stage, the application
does not demonstrate this."
The Environment Agency team has listed the
concerns in a letter to Hartlepool Borough
Council. These include requirements for more
assessment of the impact on nearby wildlife
habitats, fish stocks and the impact of shipping
movement in Seaton Channel.
NOTES
Some of the Environment Agency’s main concerns
are listed below
There needs to be more detail on precisely
what works are proposed including whether
the plans include wet and dry dock working,
and whether dock gates will be installed.
There needs to be a more detailed mitigation
plan which outlines the impact of the proposals
and how Able UK will deal with this.
A Bio-security Plan which looks at the potential
risk of introducing non-native species needs
to be included in the application.
A full method statement is required for the
dredging activities to show the impact on
Seal Sands and the wildlife.
