A TINY notice pinned to some railings in Appledore relayed the news that most locals had waited to hear for years.

A marine engineering company had signed a five-year lease to use Richmond Dry Dock, one of the most important maritime sites in the South West of England, and had put forward plans to prepare the Grade II*-listed structure for full operation within a few months.

It also confirmed its ambition to employ between 10 to 15 local people and perhaps, some apprentices.

Small notice… big news. At last, after years of stagnation, this nationally-acclaimed site, which was famous for being the largest dry dock in the Bristol Channel when it was built in 1856, appears to be back in business.

The tireless efforts of Celebrating Appledore's Shipping Heritage (CASH) which culminated in its successful alignment with Torridge District Council to fight an appeal over controversial plans to build houses on the dock last year, have ensured that Appledore's shipping heritage and its identity have been preserved, for the time being at least.

Back in the 19th century timber imports and ship repairs brought prosperity and jobs to Appledore.

Now FTD Marine Ltd, the company which has taken up the lease, will use the dock " initially for repairing and dismantling ships" while it hopes that the Lundy ferry, the MS Oldenburg, and the lifeboat will eventually be maintained at the facility.

The sensitivity shown by Gareth Evans, director of FTD, towards the historical background of the site and his enthusiasm for the project have so far impressed CASH, the Appledore Residents Association (ARA) and many locals.

CASH has always believed in a viable commercial future for the dock and has proposed that there should be a Maritime Skills Centre in place there one day along with boat storage, small boat repairs and the display and maintenance of historic ships.

It was therefore delighted to see the site being cleaned up so that it could revert to its original use and to receive assurances from Mr Evans that scrapped materials would be transported from the dock via the river rather than the road.

Not only that, some of CASH's concerns regarding noise and other environmental issues were addressed in Mr Evans's public notice. In it he says he knows "a lot of locals are glad to see the dock being used again and some are worried about the noise."

But he adds: "Before I signed the lease on behalf of my company, I attended a meeting at Torridge Council with Planning, the Environment Agency and Environmental Health.

"We will be sensitive to noise and I can assure residents that I will be working within the tolerances discussed at the meeting."

CASH will continue to monitor the situation and "explore avenues that will maintain the dock in its historical context."

The ARA is also happy to see the dock being prepared for use again and in a letter to its owner, the Instow developer Mr Simon Maunder, it stated that its committee unanimously expressed its approval to see the dry dock being used "within the parameters stated by Torridge District Council Environmental Health Officer at the public inquiry in 2011".

The letter added: "the majority of Appledorians were most anxious that this should happen and look forward to seeing the dock used for its original purpose."

Mr Evans obviously appreciates the importance of the dock and the part it played in the maritime history of North Devon.

Appledore, for example, has been described by Professor Mark Horton, the TV Coast presenter as "one of the most perfectly preserved early modern port landscapes in the United Kingdom."

Other complimentary words can be found in the Conservation Plan which portrays the dock as " a major monument to a thriving 19th century transatlantic trade between the English West Country and Northern Canada."

And it should never be forgotten that Appledore's men and women played a vital role during World War II by working long hours there on landing craft, gunboats and other vessels.

Government Inspector Olivia Spencer, who presided over last year's public inquiry, said at the time that the dock "lies both physically and culturally at the heart of the community" and stressed the importance of it continuing its traditional use.

Meanwhile, Mr Evans, whose family have been involved in marine engineering in Chester, Wrexham Hull, Liverpool and the Orkney Islands, seems determined to ensure that the dock continues to generate interest among locals and tourists. He plans to display information about the work taking place there – for example, news about the expected arrival of boats – on boards placed on the dock walls.

This idea has been taken a stage further by some residents who have suggested the erection of viewing platforms so that visitors can watch the work in progress.

Whatever is decided, Mr Evans has obviously worked very hard during the dock's cleaning-up operation and his efforts have been appreciated by the local community.