Residents have voiced their fears over the proposed Bathside Bay development

They spoke out yesterday at the public inquiry into the £300m container terminal.

Beryl Cann explained that many people were worried about the proposals and what would happen once the application had been approved.

She said: "I welcome extra jobs, but it is the size and scale of it all that is overwhelming to such a small peninsula.

"Would the company have permission to do what they like, when they like, on the land?"

She believed there were also major issues over the noise and disturbance inflicted on residents in Harwich and the encroachment of the project on to the Harwich mainland.

Ms Cann was told by chief inspector Ken Smith that changes made after the construction of the terminal would be a matter for the council to deal with.

He said: "The routes would not extend to the highways and would be subject to planning proposals.

"They can't just come along and say 'I'm going to build this' and just do it there are a lot of legal issues to be sorted out first."

The inquiry also heard from Lady Lewis, a member of the Residents Against Port Expansion group.

She expressed concerns over the character of nature in Bathside Bay being affected and the size of the proposed terminal

Published Wednesday June 9, 2004

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