Pegasus Boatyard

I MUST take issue with The Journal's front-page article (October 3) regarding the latest proposals for the Pegasus and Hampton Boatyard sites.

The presentation by Badger Building Ltd at a public meeting shows no indication that “the area could soon be restored to its former glory”.

In late 2006 Badger Building Ltd was forced to withdraw an ill considered and poorly designed planning application for 151 homes on the sites, submitted to the Broads Authority.

Shortly after this the Broads Authority published a detailed development brief for the sites which clearly identified specific matters to be addressed by any future development proposal. These include that any housing proposed on the sites allows boatyards priority use, is part of a comprehensive scheme for the boatyards, is a subsidiary part of the boatyards' existing site area and that housing development involving the whole or a major part of a boatyard will not be permitted.

Badger Building Ltd has indicated about one fifth of the available area, approximating to that of Hampton boatyard, to be retained for boatyard/marina use, whilst turning the very much larger Pegasus boatyard over almost exclusively to housing and office use. This represents a significant net loss of boatyard facilities and clearly does not comply with the stipulated planning requirements.

Some two years have since elapsed since their last submission, after which time Badger Building Ltd has again presented inadequate proposals for the sites and still has not addressed these and other fundamental design issues.

Having attended the meeting I heard many voicing adverse opinion and real concerns which Badger Building Ltd was unable to satisfactorily answer.

Apart from halving the proposed number of dwellings, which still represents high-density development, Badger Building Ltd has not made any significant improvement to the proposal.

If realistic valuation, usage expectations and investment are applied to the sites, many of us believe that, together with an increase in leisure and recreational use of Oulton Broad and the waterway system, not only is boatyard use of these sites economically viable, but that this could revitalise employment, tourism, leisure facilities and local amenities.

Badger Building Ltd proposes a lack-lustre over-development of the sites, consisting predominantly of housing.

As a community we must take this opportunity to review all options and fully realise the long term social and economic benefits that this unique site can provide for our future welfare.

JOHN WHITESIDE

Friends of Pegasus Boatyard

St Peter's Road

Lowestoft