ONE of the last steam ships to be built in Flintshire should be brought home from South America, say campaigners.
The RH Carr, built in Saltney in 1927, was used to carry people on the Demerara river from the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, to the bauxite plant in Demba.
Councillor Klaus Armstrong-Braun wants to see the rundown ship, which is no longer used, brought back to Flintshire and used again on the River Dee.
“This ship is part of our historical legacy,” said Cllr Armstrong-Braun, a member of the Saltney Historical Society.
“We could restore it on the River Dee and do boat trips to Llandudno and the Isle of Man. It would create a lot of jobs and would generate a lot of money through the leisure rides.
“It is a tangible effort from our ship building history and it is just sitting in Guyana rotting away. We need to get it back.”
Michael Knowles, a steam ship enthusiast from Flintshire, is backing the campaign.
“I was the initiator of the project to return the ship to the River Dee,” he said.
“Admittedly it requires considerable restoration, but the vessel is well documented and the task is not impossible.
“I have always seen the relevance of a restoration project to Saltney and Connah’s Quay to regenerate creative employment and a focus for intelligent tourism.
“This project has obvious national significance for Wales, where there have been only a few steam ship-building yards.”
Previous attempts to seek sponsors for a feasibility study failed when local councils showed no interest.
Now Cllr Armstrong-Braun is appealing to shipping businesses and experts in the region to sponsor the project.
“It would cost £1.5m to bring it home,” he said. “I wanted Flintshire Council to help with the cost but the tourism department are not interested. Maybe Airbus could volunteer to bring it home on their huge aircrafts or shipping experts and businesses could contribute to the cost.”
A spokesman for Flintshire Council said: “The idea to investigate the possibility of returning the ship to this area is well made, but unfortunately we do not have the capacity to lead on such a project.
“It has been suggested to the councillor that perhaps a local interest group could form a working group to look at the feasibility of the idea which the council could possibly be a part of.”
The RH Carr is believed to be the last vessel built by J Crichton and Co at their Saltney yard.