THE FATE of shipbuilding in Southampton could be decided "in the next few weeks."

As Vosper Thornycroft bosses continue talks with the MOD over whether to build the new HMS Dauntless almost entirely at the Portsmouth naval base, it emerged that Vosper's application to develop the site has had met with no objections.

That means that Portsmouth City Council officers are just four days away from being able to give the plans the go ahead using delegated powers.

If there are objections to the weighty bundle of plans, then they will have to go before councillors on October 4. Vosper Thornycroft wants to redevelop a large part of the naval dockyard to carry out the contract for the £270m destroyer, which was awarded in July.

But the company has yet to decide between revamping its existing works to carry out some of the work at Woolston, or carrying out the entire operation in Portsmouth. If the move goes ahead as is widely expected, it would be the first time a commercial shipyard has conducted business inside a naval base.

The 1,500 Woolston workers who could face relocation or commuting the 27 miles from Southampton to Portsmouth keenly await details of the arrangements.

A spokesman for Vosper Thornycroft refused to comment on claims that the Woolston yard could be sold for redevelopment, adding: "Various options are under discussion and we would hope for an outcome in the next few weeks

"We are not going into details about those discussions."

GMB Union regional organiser Bob Stokes said he hoped that Woolston would continue to play a major role in Vosper Thornycroft's operations.

"We believe that there is a strong possibility that a certain amount of work carried out at Woolston will relocate. But we argue that there is no reason why components cannot be built at Woolston and transported to Portsmouth for construction."

He added: "Vospers is the only remaining industrial employer in Southampton.

"The closure of Woolston would be a devastating blow."

City MP and government minister John Denham expressed concerns over the possible impact of the Portsmouth move, adding: "I am keen to see shipbuilding continue in Woolston and I will continue to play an active role."

If the plans are approved, Vosper will occupy the navy's No 3 basin and around 35 acres of the base alongside it, probably on a 125-year lease.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the moves were an attempt to address over capacity in the naval dockyard and base.

It is thought that Vosper's marine component manufacturing at Woolston is unlikely to be affected by the plans.

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