R.I.P. Old Harwich

Daydream believer said:
Why do you say that? The place needs tidying up & new developments are needed. Just because you do not like it does not mean others do not. I suppose you complained about the improvements at that other dump- Dover -which surely needed something doing to it. The more these places are sorted the better. Just leaving them because of their " history" is b..,,lks. It is future that matters.
As I see it--It is not affecting any green field sites either, which is another plus
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Why does it 'need tidying up'? Do you suffer from OCD? What do mean by 'sorted' it sounds very sinister, but I think you meant 'sanitised' or possibly even 'sterilised'.
'Just leaving them because of their history' is not 'b....cks', it is a sacred principle, that's why we don't 'tidy up' things like Portsmouth Docks more than nevcessary.
It would sweeten the pill if the rapacious developers were forced to provide a historic waterfront, a miniature Portsmouth Historic Dockyard type of thing, with a large museum full of exhibits and information about the very rich naval history of the area. The Lenox Project coukd move to Harwich, or something similar coukd be launched. At the moment there is a list of ships by the old dock gates, I'm not sure if they were built in Harwich? There is also a Nelson connection.
The tower idea woukd be great, a spinnaker would be inappropriate so perhaps the Sprits'l Tower!
 
I'm a little confused by the negativity about this. First the area they are talking about is closed off to the public at the moment as it is all yards and commercial quays. Its near the historic centre but I don't think there is much in the Navy yard that's historic. Anything that's listed will have to be kept I would imagine. The Domed shed I suppose will be missed as it is a land mark especially when coming down the Wallet. As long as it doesn't end up looking like the eyesore at Brightlingsea it should be good for the area.
As for Harwich being run down, surely that's Dovercourt next door!
 
Aquaboy said:
I'm a little confused by the negativity about this. First the area they are talking about is closed off to the public at the moment as it is all yards and commercial quays. Its near the historic centre but I don't think there is much in the Navy yard that's historic. Anything that's listed will have to be kept I would imagine. The Domed shed I suppose will be missed as it is a land mark especially when coming down the Wallet. As long as it doesn't end up looking like the eyesore at Brightlingsea it should be good for the area.
As for Harwich being run down, surely that's Dovercourt next door!
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Fair enough, if it opens more of the peninsula to the public that must be positive. Negativity on my part is my default knee-jerk reaction to any and all new developments anywhere near water in England. Maybe it will be great, and I hope I'm forced to eat my words.
 
Ohlin Karcher said:
View attachment 82852
Navyard Ltd have sent in application to build 373 new flats, plus various commercial attachments, bistros, car parks, etc, etc, in Old Harwich on and around the Navyard site.
The character of the place will be casually destroyed, the property developers will clean up, and locals will be priced out of the area by these repulsive carbuncles.
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In the right foreground of your picture is a small blue "shed" building. In this picture Harwich navy yard in the right foreground between the lifeboat and the lifeboat house is the same blue shed for reference.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Plum said:
In the right foreground of your picture is a small blue "shed" building. In this picture Harwich navy yard in the right foreground between the lifeboat and the lifeboat house is the same blue shed for reference.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
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That's quite an amazing comparison. Thanks you have altered my perspective, looked at like that I say: Bring on the carbuncles! Maybe some vistors' pontoons for good measure at Halpenny Pier prices, and some old ships or barges. The development must have connections with the water, the foot ferry can stop there, a slipway, fishing trips, that sort of thing. It coukd be exciting!
 
The thing is, as Christopher Wren found after the Great Fire, once you have sold houses to private owners you have lost your only chance to do anything of any architectural merit.

This is one of the most visually inspiring sites in Britain.

The proposed development is disgraceful. A nasty tower block like the ones in Frinton or the carbuncle encrustations on James and Stone’s yard in Brightlingsea, and a row of flat cardboard houses, alternating two mediocre designs over and again, like the carbuncle encrustations on Whisstock’s yard in Woodbridge.


Just as a thought experiment, imagine something like the Sydney Opera House on that site.
 
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Kukri said:
The thing is, as Christopher Wren found after the Great Fire, once you have sold houses to private owners you have lost your only chance to do anything of any architectural merit.



This is one of the most visually inspiring sites in Britain.

The proposed development is disgraceful. A nasty tower block like the ones in Frinton or the carbuncle encrustations on James and Stone’s yard in Brightlingsea, and a row of flat cardboard houses, alternating two mediocre designs over and again, like the carbuncle encrustations on Whisstock’s yard in Woodbridge.

This is one of the most visually inspiring sites in Britain.

Just as a thought experiment, imagine something like the Sydney Opera House on that site.
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The problem is the population not there to warrant expense.What about an extension of the maritime museum at green which with maybe the emphasis on thr east coast and European trade
 
Wansworth said:
The problem is the population not there to warrant expense.What about an extension of the maritime museum at green which with maybe the emphasis on thr east coast and European trade
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Nice idea. I particularly don’t want to see the Harwich skyline, dominated as it is by the spire of the parish church of St Nicholas and the two High lighthouses, lost.

It’s one of the very very few towns with its 18th century skyline preserved, We all know it but perhaps we don’t think enough about it.

ESSEX CHURCHES
 
More of Cell Block H in Brightlingsea.

The real problem is the loss of access to the water... which can only occur at the waters edge. Once this port facility is lost it is gone forever because every inch of the rest of the coastline is designated as a bug huggers theme park where development of any sort of access to the water is prohibited in facour of nzture conservation.

Housing can be built anywhere. But the mantra in the council offices is to not allow unused land to be used when there is the chance of putting people out of work in favour of housing.

It is another example of the failure of the so called planning process.
 
The only interest the developers have in the water is to claim the luxury apartments have stunning sea views to put the price up.

The docks, slipways, wharves, quays, jetties, cranes, pumps and winches, the ancient pilings, the atmosphere of 100's of years of shipbuilding history, will vanish overnight.

The will be a small plaque under the surveillance cameras on the desolate concrete walkway along the river, grafitti scrawled across it, marking the slip where a certain ship was built, on board which Villeneuve's sword was accepted by Israel Pellew.
Decisions like this are too vital to the nation's irreplaceable heritage to be left to council jobsworths or planning department vermin scum angling for backhanders.IMG_2755.JPG The painting illustrates Harwich built 74, HMS Conqueror, towing the crippled HMS Africa off the Trafalgar shoal.
 
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