Plans to create more than 1,000 new jobs on Shoebury's New Ranges have been shelved, it is feared.
An ambitious scheme announced in March by the owners of the site, the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, to safeguard the future of the weapons' testing base will not now go ahead in the near future.
These included a 98 megawatt windfarm and a hydroponic or organic facility for fruit, vegetables and pharmaceuticals.
The concept, which took 28 years to develop, involved plants being grown in sand, gravel or liquid without genetic modification and was greeted with much enthusiasm in Shoebury. It was also proposed to set aside 19 acres for new housing on the 9,230-acre site.
A spokesman confirmed that the windfarm would not go ahead in the foreseeable future and that plans for the fruit farm were now very much on the back burner. Kent-based company Unigro, which was said to have secured the first phase of funding for the scheme was today unavailable to comment.
Published Friday December 28, 2001
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article