UK: Heritage Organisations Oppose Vestas’ Plans for Port of Sheerness

Last year in May, Vestas signed an option agreement for land at the Port of Sheerness to build a fully integrated offshore wind turbine manufacturing and installation facility.

To realise these plans Vestas will need to demolish existing buildings in this location, to which Heritage campaigners are objecting, reports Times Guardian.

The company’s plans include construction of blade manufacturing facility, necelle assembly and a new block comprising offices.

To be able to go ahead with the construction the firm will need to take down 11 buildings, including the Grade II listed working mast house.

Disagreeing to these plans, a number of heritage organisations have submitted objections to Swale council.

Bob Baxter, chairman of the CPRE’s historic buildings committee said: “It’s a very fine building and an integral part of what was a very active dockyard.”

“They say they can’t operate this scheme without knocking down a Grade II* listed building but we have suggested three schemes where we feel they could still operate [the plant] by just rearranging their components and saving this very valuable and unique building for posterity.”

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, April 30, 2012; Image: vestas