|
A proposal to develop a huge seafood park at Newlyn Coombe is
expected to go before planners in the next few months.
The scheme, drawn up by the South West Regional Development Agency
(SWRDA), is a key plank of Newlyn's regeneration proposals.
It may include buildings totalling 70,000 square feet and parking
for 145 vehicles.
The plan could also involve road changes at The Coombe and the
A30.
Tony Williams, who lives at Elm Cottage, Trereife, said this week
that he was appalled.
"As far as I understand it, they want to increase the amount
of fish that is processed locally, so they have come up with this
Seafood Park to be built on a green field alongside The Coombe.
There is also room for expansion."
The plan was part of the public consultation over the proposed
regeneration, but Mr Williams thinks that people have concentrated
so much on the harbour plans that they have not picked up on the
Seafood Park.
"I have been told that SWRDA will be putting in for outline
planning permission in the next couple of months but I don't know
how true that is," he said.
Tony Woodhams, Newlyn Fisheries Project Officer, said the Seafood
Park was linked to the regeneration of Newlyn and needed to go ahead
to make the rest of the scheme work.
He pointed out that 90 per cent of the fish landed in Newlyn went
straight out of the county 'without touching the sides'.
The Seafood Park would mean fresh fish landed at Newlyn could be
processed in the port.
Some £19.5 million worth of fish went though Newlyn and 750
jobs were dependent on the industry. "If that collapses I don't
know how we would replace those jobs in Penwith," he said.
"This way we would keep the jobs and infrastructure. We have
the best fish in the world but at the moment we are just sending
it straight out of the area."
Stephen Bohane, the Regional Development Agency's head of operations
in Cornwall, said: "The Newlyn Seafood Park is an agreed priority
for the RDA and Objective One as we see the need to develop a project
that will add value to the catch and bring better quality jobs to
West Cornwall.
"There is nothing new in these plans and up to now we have
had strong support for the Newlyn Seafood Park as the priority for
RDA investment in the area.
"Green field consent has been obtained from the Government
Office South West because of the lack of alternative brown field
sites in the area. We are currently looking at options for the Seafood
Park and are in discussions with Cornwall's highways department
about appropriate access for the site."
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
 |
