EXCLUSIVE
DEVELOPERS of a maritime museum near Renfrew have offered their support to rival plans involving the royal yacht Britannia, describing them as as more adventurous and dramatic than their own scheme.
The move comes as it was announced yesterday that Britannia is to circumnavigate Britain, stopping at Glasgow and Edinburgh, in a farewell tour before she is decommissioned later this year.
Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) was given outline planning permission in the early 1990s for a shopping development at Braehead on condition that it also provided a heritage centre.
However, the Clyde Heritage Trust has submitted proposals for a rival maritime heritage centre at the former Govan graving-dock in Glasgow, and hopes to attract the Britannia back to the Clyde as a permanent exhibit.
A letter from CSC chief executive Douglas Leslie, which has been passed to The Herald, says the company had offered to transfer the maritime scheme to a better location if it did not result in any added cost to the company.
He says: ''The maritime proposals up river seem to be more adventurous and more dramatic. If they involve the royal yacht Britannia, then this will be very good for Glasgow and the West of Scotland. It would be attractive and an undoubted success which we would, of course, support.''
He adds that CSC is committed to building the shopping centre at Braehead and would not be prepared to breach any planning rules. He says the matter should be resolved as soon as possible.
The organisers of the #26m bid to return the royal yacht to the Clyde, where she was built at John Brown's in Clydebank, yesterday urged planners to allow construction of the Braehead heritage centre to be put on hold until a decision is made on Britannia's resting place.
Architect Geoffrey Jarvis, of the Clyde Heritage Trust, said: ''If Britannia is to return to Govan, it makes no sense whatever to have a major centre at the dry docks and another token one associated with the shopping centre two miles down the river.
''This was the result of a planning condition imposed by Ian Lang when he was Secretary of State for Scotland. An attempt must now be made to delay the building of the maritime centre at Braehead.''
He added that the planning authorities in Glasgow and the next Secretary of State for Scotland should waive the relevant planning condition for around six months until the fate of the Britannia is known.
The #5m earmarked for the Braehead heritage centre would be better spent at Govan, he said.
Mr Jarvis added that the Govan scheme was part of a major regeneration project which would create up to 600 jobs and become one of Scotland's top five tourist attractions. It is dependent on lottery and European funding.
Glasgow City Council has refused to back the bid to return the royal yacht to the Clyde. However, Edinburgh City Council has supported moves to bring Britannia to the new Forth Port.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said planning conditions would stand until a formal application to change them was agreed.
After one of her busiest ever periods, which peaks at the handover of Hong Kong to China, Britannia is to sail from Portsmouth later this year on a series of visits to British ports.
Sailing clockwise, she will circumnavigate the coast of Great Britain calling in at ports including Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne and London.
The tour will take place some time in the autumn, possibly after the Queen and the Royal Family return from their annual cruise of the Western Isles in August. This trip, traditionally the Queen's favourite holiday, had been expected to be the vessel's final cruise.
However, defence sources said the trip around Britain was considered the best possible send-off for the ''grand old lady'' of the sea. Her ultimate fate has still to be decided although a number of cities have submitted bids to house the yacht.
The Conservatives have indicated that a new royal yacht will be built with #60m from the public purse. However, the decision has been criticised by Labour leaders, who insist that private funding must be found.
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