Confidence in th future

[Wussername]

Despite the political shenanigans or dare I say because of them, within the "Park", there would seem to be a degree of confidence within the industry.

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/public_access_to_the_river_at_brundall_under_10m_boatyard_investment_1_3808104

Old Wussername

[Guest]

If I correctly understand the full implications of that EDP story, it looks to me like planning permission blackmail on a very large scale.

 

Very good for the UK boat building industry, good for local jobs, good for improved river access, but a method of forcing very large scale industrial planning consent in a green field environment where it would otherwise never even been considered.

 

Maybe I've misunderstood though....

[JennyMorgan]

I don't doubt that Broom see a healthy future for their business of producing sea-going bling boats, lots of lottery winners out there! I have often wondered why they don't relocate to the coast, Lowestoft for example. Financing by housing development, interesting move .

I'm with Strowger on this one, only I don't think that he has been misunderstood.

[ChrisB]

The re-development of the site was always on the cards as the freehold was a non negotiable part of the take over. Lets be honest except for the name Broom there was not much else.

I can fully understand the unsuitability of the site because getting large transport in and out is far from ideal and I suppose if they were to relocate to a coastal site they may not be able to retain staff. Cucumber Lane area gives good access for large transporters straight onto the A47.

It will be interesting to see what type of development is given the go ahead as the danger is a nice marina type development could well end up as second home ghost town out of season.

[Wussername]

ChrisB

Is it not prone to flooding during the winter months?

Old Wussername

[ChrisB]

This area at the bottom of the hill is indeed prone to flooding, but not to the extent that a well bunded development with rise and fall floating pontoons could not deal with. However if this gets the green light I bet there will be other business and marinas jumping on the development band waggon.

[marshman]

Well well well - whose surprised???!!  Not me!!!

 

 Lets use another greenfield site when there is plenty of room in places like Lowestoft!!. My guess this is something that the takeover was all about in the first place - it never made any sense and now we are seeing what was behind it all from the outset!!!

 

Differing planning authorities too - the Cucumber Lane site will be Broadland District whilst the riverside development will be the good old BA I suspect. Lets hope that they insist on the site retaining a boatyard and how nice it would be if public access could be included in the plans, something Brundall has lacked for so so long but I suspect I am just in fantasy land when the real objective behind all of this is not jobs, not for the Broads or anything other than good old fashioned profit!!!

 

Oh dear, now i sound like a cynic!!!!!

[marshman]

Oh and before someone accuses me of not reading the bit about riverside access, let me say I am sceptical in the extreme!!!

 

The trouble is riverside access for the public amounts to reduced profit and a bit like Strow I see some trade off being planned - don't get me wrong I realise that that happens all the time but am I being a bit cynical when I could see the plans being "altered " later to reduce that aspect.

 

Must admit I am not sure I really see Brooms in the kind of market the big players are in nor am I totally convinced that is the real intention, despite the rhetoric - but we shall just have to wait a d see!!

 

I suppose this is Norfolk and nothing much will happen very quickly I suspect.

[MY littleboat]

Strow - For once I agree 100% with your understanding.

 

Whatsmore - my housemate is part of a very large housing development family who may own a relatively local football stadium - I am often told that the profit on even medium scale housing developments is massive, I honestly believe you could easily replace the word 'investment' in this headline with the word 'profit'

[webntweb]

I don't see anything in the EDP article about residential building on the present boatyard. Does anybody have any links to info re planning permission or to what was said at the public consultation.

[ExSurveyor]

It would make sense to move the manufacturing base to an area adjacent to a main road without going too far away and losing experienced staff. Marinas make good money, residential building makes very good money.

It would be good to see a boatyard, marina and residential development on the site whilst moving the manufacturing nearer the main roads.

Brundall riverside tends to be flimsy bungalows and semi industrial buildings in amongst a maze of marinas and boatyards. The existing style of the riverside area is not very pleasing on the eye.

With some thought a residential development could improve the area as long as it is a good mix of uses.

I might even put my name down if the design is good.

[marshman]

At the end of the day Mark, venture capitalists are in it for one reason and one reason only and thats profit. Do you really ever see the profit from any riverside development being ploughed back by that type of operation? I think its all a smoke and mirrors trick and think that the promised investment in that fabulously profitable industry - boatbuilding - is not a given.

 

I would not like to imagine how much it would cost to build and operate a purpose built volume boat building operation in this country where labour costs are relatively high and it is not what venture capitalists, by their very nature, do!! They tend to asset strip, break up and above all , profit - they buy assets at low prices at difficult times, put in the barest investment and sell on or develop parts for profit when markets improve - see a developing trend here???

 

Mark - its probably the worse thing that could happen at Brooms simply because I am not convinced. If its all true then I can see benefits but its a bit like Swiss cheese methinks. Lets just hope i am very wrong and my worst fantasies do not come true!!!!  

[ExSurveyor]

Marshman, I would suspect that Brooms would avoid competing with the volume builders and aim for the quality market. They would probably sell to Venture Capitalists .

Venture Capitalists are usually a pooled fund of capital rich investors such as Local and County councils, charities and pension funds, The next part of my argument involved how we all benefit from these organizations, but I am probably going to lose that one

[JennyMorgan]

http://www.mustardtv.co.uk/browse/boatbuilders-10m-expansion-plan-could-open-up-new-stretch-of-broads/

[webntweb]

Interesting film JM.

No mention of any homes being built on the boatyard site.

Spotted Thunder on her new home mooring, Lightning moors behind her in front of the old boatshed shown.

Roy

[Matt]

The plans are available to view in the Brooms reception. One if the Thunder owners has been in and viewed and said there plans to replace the current sheds at the yard with holiday lets.

[ChrisB]

If you too are of a certain age and can remember the likes of the Slater Walker empire, in those days we did not call them Venture Capitalists but a more succinct "Asset Strippers"