Plans to demolish ‘poorly constructed’ workshops and replace them with a built-for-purpose workshop have been submitted by Hovertravel.
Adding to its Ryde terminal on the seafront, adjacent to the Esplanade railway station, the company is proposing a new maintenance area where the old buildings stand.
The plans would see new storage, maintenance and repair facilities installed to do away with the need for the area in St Helens where parts are often stored for the hovercraft.
Existing setup causes delay to repairing hovercrafts
In planning documents, submitted by the agent, the existing buildings are said not to provide the required storage and workspace and says it delays repairing the craft. They said,
“In many cases, the exact cause of the breakdown of a hovercraft is not known until there has been an investigation, which can result in unavoidable backwards and forwards journeys between sites.
“Meanwhile, the disruption to commuters continues.”
The workshop would be over two storeys, which it said would not stand-out from the surrounding area.
Comments on the application (20/00742/FUL) can be made until 3rd July.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
