shipbuilding - appledore talks stalled
WORKERS, FEBRUARY 2004 ISSUE
Appledore, the North Devon ship builders and the last remaining British owned yard in England, which collapsed in September 2003, looks to remain closed. Some 550 jobs were lost when the yard went into receivership. Talks on a possible takeover by the nearby Royal Devonport Shipyards appear to be stalled.
There are now only 6 shipbuilding yards operational in Britain, concentrated in Scotland and the North East. Appledore, apart from building super luxury yachts for the rich (now a booming market), appears to have no future.