An MP
has criticised plans to sell off the Royal Navy's former flagship for scrap
when it could have been sunk off Torbay as a money-making diving site.
Aircraft
carrier HMS Ark Royal is being sold for £3m by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to
Turkey.
 |
| HMS Ark Royal |
Totnes
Conservative MP Dr Sarah Wollaston said it was a "disappointing
decision".
The
MoD said it had considered a range of proposals for the vessel, but decided
none were feasible.
Dr
Wollaston said: "Bringing it to Torbay would have given us a tremendous
boost for the local economy.
"I'm
very, very, very disappointed to hear this decision, and I'll be asking some
questions as to why it has been taken."
Scylla
reef
The
210m (688ft) vessel, launched in 1981, was put up for sale after it was axed by
the government in 2010's Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Torbay's
Wreck the World organisation bid £3.5m for the ship to sink it off Torbay to
create an artificial reef.
A
125-year lease for a site off the coast was agreed in principle with the Crown
Estate, and the project had the backing of Torbay Council.
Michael
Byefield, from Wreck the World, said the success of a previous project nearby
could have been repeated in south Devon.
Former
frigate HMS Scylla was sunk off Whitsand Bay in Cornwall in 2004.
Mr
Byefield said: "It generated £25m to £30m in revenue to Plymouth and the
surrounding areas within five years.
"As
well as that, it saw 263 species colonising on the vessel, and copious amounts
of sustainable jobs created."
Hong
Kong
He
said the Ark Royal could have generated £25m for the bay over five years.
But
Philip Dunne, minister for defence equipment, support and technology, said the
right decision had been made.
"HMS
Ark Royal, like her sister ships, served this country with great
distinction," Mr Dunne said in a statement.
"Retiring
her five years earlier than planned was a difficult decision but it was the
right one that, combined with her sale, has saved over £100m."
Other
proposals for the ship rejected by the MoD included converting it into a
commercial heliport in London, a nightclub and school in China, and a casino in
Hong Kong.
An
official announcement on its future will be made in the House of Commons on
Monday.
The
ship, which led the UK's naval forces during the invasion of Iraq, is the fifth
vessel to carry the name.
The
first saw battle in 1588 against the Spanish Armada.
Source: BBC. 11 September 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19549220
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