HMS Plymouth to be scrapped?!?!?!

[mat777]

What the hell happened here??
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159527/HM...

I used to visit this ship a lot when it was at the Warships museum, how has it suddenly gone from pristine exhibit to fit for scrap? What's happened to the other museum exhibits that were moored with it?

Howe about we cut the millions of pounds of Aid to Argentina and use that to restore the ship?

Edited by mat777 on Friday 15th June 10:33

[FourWheelDrift]

mat777 said:

Howe about we cut the millions of pounds of Aid to Argentina and use that to restore the ship?

And send it back down there, it's all we might have to spare.



Modern Britain, no pride.

[Munter]

It'd be nice to keep it. But as a virtually bankrupt nation would you sooner spend money maintaining that, or paying for better medical care for those who have been injured in the Falklands/Iraq/Afghan etc?

We can't keep everything that has some bit of historical significance at any cost. Some stuff has to be dropped. And that doesn't look cheap to keep.

[FourWheelDrift]

We don't want to save everything because we don't really keep anything to start with. We scrap, we don't save.

[Munter]

FourWheelDrift said:

We don't want to save everything because we don't really keep anything to start with. We scrap, we don't save.

It hasn't been used since 1988. Scrapping something 20 odd years after you stopped using it is hardly not keeping it to start with. 20 years people had to secure it's future. Did they? So why bother with anything more recently taken out of action. The sooner they are off the books the cheaper it is, and the more cash can be spent on useful things. Keeping them lying around when nobody has the cash and desire to keep them isn't practical.

[FourWheelDrift]

Munter said:

20 years people had to secure it's future. Did they?

The ship was owned and was part of the Warship Preservation Trust at Glasgow then moved to Birkenhead under the ownership of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company as the WPT had financial problems and closed in 2006. Since then The HMS Plymouth Trust raised funds to bring the ship to Plymouth, but the port owners withdrew the berth due to changes at the port and probably won't allow a berth until work is done. In the meantime they have sold it to the highest bidder, the Turkish scrappers.

Munter said:

The sooner they are off the books the cheaper it is, and the more cash can be spent on useful things. Keeping them lying around when nobody has the cash and desire to keep them isn't practical.

Cheaper to who? The government doesn't own it, it's privately owned and there is the desire from the Plymouth Association who do want it.

No saved significant ex-RN vessel has ever been saved with government money, it's always privately funded trusts.

[Munter]

FourWheelDrift said:

Munter said:

20 years people had to secure it's future. Did they?

The ship was owned and was part of the Warship Preservation Trust at Glasgow then moved to Birkenhead under the ownership of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company as the WPT had financial problems and closed in 2006. Since then The HMS Plymouth Trust raised funds to bring the ship to Plymouth, but the port owners withdrew the berth due to changes at the port and probably won't allow a berth until work is done. In the meantime they have sold it to the highest bidder, the Turkish scrappers.

Munter said:

The sooner they are off the books the cheaper it is, and the more cash can be spent on useful things. Keeping them lying around when nobody has the cash and desire to keep them isn't practical.

Cheaper to who? The government doesn't own it, it's privately owned and there is the desire from the Plymouth Association who do want it.

No saved significant ex-RN vessel has ever been saved with government money, it's always privately funded trusts.

Exactly. So why start now. Because that's the only option if you want to save it. Quite clearly (by the fact they have tried and failed and it's being sold), private money is not sufficient to keep it. So to keep it would require HM Gov stepping in and finding the cash. Cash we don't have, or is better spent elsewhere.

[Mr Whippy]

Cash better spent of Naval Typhoons, or a bit of a wing for one any way.

Imagine if the RN has to pop down there again some time soon... ummm. No Vulcan, no Harrier... those Typhoons will need a few refuels on their way down there

[NismoGT]

In a very sorry state.

They have bloody Marathon bars in the Tuck shop.

[Mojocvh]

Munter said:

It'd be nice to keep it. But as a virtually bankrupt nation would you sooner spend money maintaining that, or paying for better medical care for those who have been injured in the Falklands/Iraq/Afghan etc?

So how do you tally NHS facilities with a rotten ship?

Quite disingenuous really.

[Munter]

Mojocvh said:

Munter said:

It'd be nice to keep it. But as a virtually bankrupt nation would you sooner spend money maintaining that, or paying for better medical care for those who have been injured in the Falklands/Iraq/Afghan etc?

So how do you tally NHS facilities with a rotten ship?

Quite disingenuous really.

If we are to find the money to save this ship as some would like. Could you find a better way of spending that same money than I did? If so lets spend it on that. Either way. I wouldn't be spending it on the ship.