WATCHET people look set to go the polls to have their say on controversial plans to redevelop the town's East Quay. Local residents are behind a move to force a local referendum on the scheme put forward by developers Urban Splash which would see the construction of 86 apartments with underground parking and a mix of commercial outlets, a bistro and community space in a six-storey building on the derelict site. The referendum is expected to win the support of the ten local electors required by law at a public meeting to be held at 7pm on Thursday, May 17, in the town's Methodist Church Hall. West Somerset Council, the district authority, would then have up to 25 days to hold the referendum. West Street resident Sam Westmacott, who was behind an earlier public meeting and questionnaire on the issue, said the idea had been put to her by another local resident. "It followed a suggestion that some people were saying the previous public meeting we held was not representative of Watchet people," said Ms Westmacott. "What better way of making the situation clear than to have a referendum? The very process of doing this will cause more information to come out. "The main thing that has been lacking from this scheme from the outset is consultation. "I don't know what the result of this referendum will be but it would be a bold council that would ignore it." The proposed development now seems unlikely to go before the district council's planning committee at the end of this month, as hoped. The district council, which owns the East Quay, will be obliged to carry out the referendum under the 1972 Local Government Act. But the questions to be put to the electorate will be drawn up by those who have asked for the poll. Ms Westmacott said: "These are still being finalised but I think we may well be asking people if they approve of the proposed development in its current form, or whether they would prefer to see something smaller. "There is enormous concern in the town over this and I think the majority of people feel the scheme as it currently stands is not acceptable. "Most people want to see the site developed but some are afraid that if they reject this design, then nothing will happen. "People need to be given the chance to make their views known." Tim Taylor, operator of the adjoining marina, has already claimed that the plans as proposed would result in the closure of his business. He maintains his running costs would rise by around £60,000, largely due to rental charges for new facilities, such as a boat hoist, provided by Urban Splash. But Mr Taylor has also raised concerns about the proposal to designate the Harbour Road car park for boat storage, coupled with a move to use the existing boat museum building for boat repairs. Watchet Boat Owners Association secretary Chris Danby told the Free Press this week that the organisation had met with Urban Splash within the last few days and raised a number of similar concerns. "We are worried about the potential of Watchet becoming log-jammed when boats are being transported from the marina to the proposed Harbour Road storage area," said Mr Danby. "There is also the worry of the high voltage overhead power lines because the masts of these boats will not be removed. "And we don't think boat owners will be very popular in the town when an industrial boat yard, generating dust and noise, is moved to the centre of the town." However, Mr Danby said the main fear was that the proposed development would result in the marina becoming unviable. He said the WBOA had questioned Urban Splash on the level of rental charges for facilities to be provided by the company, such as the boat hoist, which is around £25,000 a year. "We understood that the additional 20 apartments proposed in the latest plans were needed to fund the extra facilities being provided by Urban Splash but if that is the case we cannot see how the rental charges for these facilities could be so high. "Berth holders in Watchet already pay comparable fees to other marinas along the Bristol Channel, some of which have better facilities. "If we're not careful, the marina will have no-one but a few hardy locals using it." Mr Danby said he was hoping that Urban Splash would respond to the points raised by the WBOA. "We have nothing positive to report at this time but it was certainly useful to meet the developers and we hope to hear back from them soon." Watchet's Boat Museum, which had asked to be relocated from its present site in an old railway shed in Harbour Road to the new development, also remains unhappy about the facilities it is being offered by Urban Splash. The museum had originally been offered a venue within the development with just 12ft headroom and the same floorspace as it has presently. And curator John Nash said the museum's concerns remained unresolved after a recent meeting with Urban Splash. "The situation is still unsatisfactory and we are nowhere near reaching any sort of agreement," said Mr Nash. "However, talks are continuing." Fears that the museum's present home, the railway shed, would be demolished rather than renovated for conversion to a boat repair workshop have been allayed by the district council. Spokesman Stacey Beaumont said there were no plans to demolish the building. In respect of the referendum, Ms Beaumont told the Free Press: "Local electors may call for a parish poll but as the cost of this will fall on the parish - in this case Watchet Town Council - and will be in the region of £2,000, we would recommend that people make their feelings known to the planning authority in writing instead. "However, if there is a wish for a poll, the council will accommodate this."
