Parts of Sutton Hoo ship's home could be repurposed

Town councillors in Woodbridge heard on Wednesday that Woodbridge Riverside Trust was set to apply to East Suffolk Council for permission to repurpose areas of The Longshed which were not being used by The Sutton Hoo Ship Company (SHSC) to recreate the famous vessel.

Last week, the EADT revealed the SHSC feared being 'effectively evicted' from its Tide Mill Way base when its permission to use 75% of the floor space ends in July.

READ MORE: Replica ship may have to move from Longshed in Woodbridge

The Longshed is owned by the town council, but leased to the trust, which had licensed the premises to the SHSC.

The SHSC had reached an agreement by side-letter with the council to use 75% for a period of three years, but when this ends the company will only be able to use 40% of the floor.

SHSC trustee and chair Sean McMillan said the town council - as the site owner - agreed on Wednesday that the trust could apply for planning permission.

Woodbridge Riverside Trust is seeking to use parts of The Longshed for other activities (Image: Jan Pulsford) He said areas affected could include the viewing gallery and mezzanine floor, which had been used for choir practices, while he also believed the trust was planning to stage quizzes and musical events.

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Describing the situation as a 'hell of a mess', he said: "We are somewhat in dispute with the trust because they hold the lease to the building, but the SHSC are building the ship.

"The building was originally designed for the ship to be built in. The trust claimed the right to use some of the space for other purposes and therefore, we can't use it and therefore some of our space is restricted."

A spokesperson for the trust said the town council meeting was dealing with a 'procedural matter' and no planning application had been submitted at the present time.

Mr McMillan also revealed that the SHSC was considering 'at least three' other sites to base its operations should it have to leave The Longshed.

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Describing this prospect last week, Mr McMillan said: "It would cost a huge amount of money if we had to move. I think the biggest implication would be that this would be an absolute tragedy for Woodbridge.

"It is a huge part of Woodbridge's heritage. Shops and restaurants all depend on the ship's footfall. It would be a disaster for Woodbridge."

Last week, the trust said SHSC had been 'reminded in writing several times since January' of the need to apply to renew the 75% floor space provision, but SHSC had 'chosen not to apply'.

The project to build an 88ft long replica of the famous Sutton Hoo ship, which was found buried in 1939, was started seven years ago and has now reached the stage where wooden planks are being completed for the hull.