A popular boatyard in Burnham could soon be upgraded to offer new moorings for private users of the River Crouch.

Family-run business Rice and Cole hopes to extend the floating walkway and jetties on its site, at Sea End Boat House on Belvedere Road, to provide 48 new fixed floating jetties for recreational use.

If approved, the development would transform the current setup of the boatyard as it includes the removal of existing moorings on the site provided by buoys and anchored by chains to heavy concrete blocks in the Crouch.

David Jackson, associate director at chartered surveyors SBRice, said in a letter on the plans that Rice and Cole currently lift the chains and buoys out of the water every winter, "which causes disruption to the channel".

He said: "The chain anchored buoys also fail every couple of years due to erosion or electrolysis and require replacing - a process which the new proposed fixed floating jetties will therefore avoid and thus also help minimise the regular disruption to the channel."

He added: "With the River Crouch being tidal, the proposed new jetties will be floating jetties. There will therefore be the need to sink some steel piles into the bed of the river to secure the jetties and the jetties themselves will be floating on concrete floats."

The plans are currently at pre-application stage, with Rice and Cole having requested a formal screening opinion from Maldon District Council to confirm whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed for the proposed jetties.

The proposal also involves the addition of 28 car parking spaces on existing hardstanding along the northern bank of the Crouch and new pump out facilities.

Mr Jackson said a full application would be forthcoming.

Maldon District Council will make the final decision.

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