TELE readers have been blocked from seeing plans for the £14 million Greenock Ocean Terminal expansion – despite a public event being held in town on Thursday.

A ‘pre-application consultation’ was held at South West Library allowing people to see for the first time how the impressive development could look once completed.

The Tele attended the event but we were blocked from taking any photographs of artist’s impressions.

A representative from civil engineering firm Arch Henderson, which organised the event on behalf of Ocean Terminal owners Peel Ports Clydeport, refused permission.

The consultation was part of a statutory process for obtaining the necessary licence and permissions from Marine Scotland for such a development. Organisers were reluctant for the drawings to be pictured, despite placing a notice in the Telegraph in March inviting the public to attend.

They say the project is still in the early stages. The current plans showed that the new mooring point would be at the opposite end of the terminal from where vessels currently dock, near to the boundary with the Waterfront Cinema.

They also appeared to reveal that ships would not stop directly at the quayside but instead pull up next to a pontoon-type structure with bridges taking passengers from there on to dry land.

The dedicated cruise liner berth would allow the container operation to continue alongside it and would only be used during the summer.

Extensive dredging will be required. Any objections to the plans must be made in writing to Arch Henderson LLP, 142 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5LA, by no later than Monday May 29.