The Barrow Port Area Action Plan has recently been Examined in Public – and as a result of the inspectors report has to make some changes if it is to be formally adopted – to be deemed sound, in the jargon.
The key amendment from the point of view of the natural environment is the removal of a section dealing with proposals to create a terminal for cruise ships. We welcome this outcome on several levels.
Firstly, the plan failed to provide confidence that the extent of any adverse impact to Morecambe Bay had been identified. To get bigger cruise ships in would require the creation of a channel capable of accommodating them – by dredging. The generic risk of damage to Morecambe Bay – a Natura 2000 site – was picked up but the plan failed to indentify the true nature of the risk.
Secondly, the Inspector was clear that it was not acceptable to dodge the issue of damage to Morecambe Bay by deferring decisions to such time as a planning application comes forward. In essence, it’s simply not on to stick a partly formed idea in a planning document when there is clear indications of damage to one of our most important wildlife sites, and then worry about the true nature of that damage at some point in the future. Government advice makes this clear and this is a good example of how plans can avoid direct conflict between a development proposal and our natural heritage.
Finally, the inspector was clear that the economic case was weak – in effect highlighting that this was speculative development dressed up as planning. The appetite to attract larger ships is not backed up trends in visiting of the smaller ones that can already use Barrow. The Inspector noted that the Council failed to provide any evidence that people were likely to use the existing facility this year.
If you fancy visiting Morecambe Bay over the summer - here's some more information.
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