A START on Watchet's marina moved a step closer last week when West Somerset District Council's planning committee approved details of part of the £5.1 million scheme.

But councillors and members of the public voiced concerns about the "sketchy" details at the meeting, held in Watchet Baptist Church.

While the application related only to the retaining wall and the slipway, the lack of artists' impressions of the future housing on the East Wharf was a primary complaint.

Constructors Dean and Dyball have always stated that the housing application will not be submitted until the marina is complete in 2001.

Dozens of photographs were shown at the meeting to emphasise the council's and Dean and Dyball's commitment that the impounding wall should be of a similar finish to rest of the harbour.

When complete, it is anticipated it will become a 260-berth harbour which will turn it from commercial use into a leisure facility.

Planning services manager David Heard said the way forward was to pick up on the flavour of the harbour at the moment and incorporate it into the overall designs.

He said: "Many of the objections have been made against this authority but the Secretary of State made the decision.

"The district council is now being asked to deal with the details that have been put forward by Dean and Dyball.

"While some people would like to open up a three-week debate into the matter, that is not within our powers."

Marina opponent and district councillor David Banks slammed the drawings, saying they did not go into enough detail.

"The district council are being judge and jury on their own policy because they are partners in the scheme with Dean and Dyball and also have invested in the project," he said.

Cllr Banks said that if anyone else had to declare similar interests they would have had to leave the room.

He added: "The application to me looks incomplete with especially the tidal gate plans not being in enough detail."

The committee heard that documents from anti-marina protesters had been put into councillors' pigeon holes at the council offices but were later removed.

Cllr Banks said anti-marina group SWAMP was told the planning committee would receive the papers but officers changed their minds.

The protesters instead decided to post the documents to the 19 members of planning committee.

Cllr Banks added: "As a planning authority, we must behave with total impartiality."

The problem of people walking along the top of the impounding wall was an issue that gave the committee concern.

Cllr Hugh Davies said: "We are going to get idiots running along the top of the wall but I don't see anything, from the drawings, put there to stop it from happening."

Watchet Town Council voiced concerns that security measures such as spiked frames to deter vandals would adversely affect the overall visually impact of the marina.

Councillors said they wanted to see examples of the finished textures and hoped the pre-cast concrete wall panels would be rough cast.

The impounding wall will be 200 metres in length and eight metres high while a rock revetment will be constructed near the West Pier.

The width of the opening of the tidal gate will be eight metres while at the section closest to the East Pier there will be further openings to reduce the velocity of flows in the main entrance.

Work on the marina will be begin towards the end of October with the bulk of the construction being carried out during the winter.