A DECISION over dredging the river Dee to allow ships to transport giant Airbus wings to France was yesterday said to be imminent. An announcement giving the green light is expected within days. The Port of Mostyn submitted new evidence in its case to maintain a channel to secure the shipments, and was awaiting the approval of the environment agency. More than 6,000 jobs at the Airbus factory in Broughton hang on the manufacture of 200 tonne wings for the A380 superjumbo, assembled in Toulouse. An announcement is expected as early as next week, with one report suggesting approval for a two metre dredge could be on the table. Further weeks of consultation would be required over any deal for a dredging permit to enable objections to be lodged. But an agreement could be in place before Airbus re-starts its shipments of the huge wings by flat-bottomed barge down the Dee estuary, ready for collection by Chinese-built ships at Mostyn. Fifteen months of wrangling was sparked last year when the dredging was halted after concern by conservationists over the impact on the sensitive wildlife and environment of the estuary. It was thought the agency might block permission for further dredging, which could undermine the transport links to Toulouse, placing a question mark over the operation. Politicians at Westminster and in the Assembly called for top-level challenges to the ruling in the public interest. Airbus said yesterday its position was unchanged after ships waited for the high tide to carry the first nine sets of wings for the superjumbo from the port. | 
