Fantastic news!
As previously reported, at the end of June the Dorset County Council democratically voted to take a lease from Crown Estate for the W2R Project and to then sub-lease to W2R. This has been the biggest hurdle that we are likely to encounter and it is a huge relief that it is now behind us.

A further development can be reported today with the announcement that the Local Action Group, Chalk and Cheese, has through their executive committee agreed a grant of £111,000 to W2R for the capitol costs of two of the three lobster restocking reefs and help with 3 years management costs. Read More...

At the end of June the Dorset County Council democratically voted to take a lease from Crown Estate for the W2R Project and to then sub-lease to W2R. This has been the biggest hurdle that we are likely to encounter and it is a huge relief that it is now behind us.

For their part, the County Council Officers have given us a fair hearing and they have also worked diligently with us to ensure that all available information was taken into consideration. Bearing in mind that the County Council are not experienced in all things marine, they have been receptive to help and advice from our maritime law expert, Academic lawyer, Tom Appleby and this professional relationship will now stand us in good stead in our continuing relationship with the County Council.

Letters of support were received from the Environment Agency, UK Trade and Investment and Richard Drax MP who said he thought “there is room out at sea to meet everyone’s needs” and he quoted Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport who had recently made a speech in Portland concerning the importance of coastal tourism. Richard said it is vital that we re-invigorate the sport of diving which is good for the region.

There were letters of concern from the sailing fraternity; Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, Royal Dorset Yacht Club and the Commodore of Weymouth Sailing Club. Over the past 12 months we have made several requests to meet with the Yacht Clubs of Weymouth in order to discuss their concerns but to date, we have been unsuccessful. We will continue to press for meetings so that we can understand their concerns more fully in order to find practical solutions that will be acceptable to all.

Dorset County Council and the lease.

The decision by Dorset County Council (DCC) on whether to become seabed leaseholder of the W2R project was due to be decided at a Cabinet meeting on the 5th May. However, this has been postponed until 29th June to enable the evaluation of new information with regard to liability insurance for the project.

Until now, the annual insurance premium costs have been estimated at between £10,000 and £20,000 but this figure has now been reduced to £5,000 because a specialised Lloyd’s marine insurance company has been sourced through Houlder Insurance Services. This has been made possible with the help of Hugh Wiltshire of Quest Marine Ltd who has used his expertise and contacts within the maritime world to assist us. The insurance cover of £5million should be adequate to put DCC at ease with regard to their concerns about liability.

A further concern of DCC, and a justified one, was the cost of the first two years insurance. Because W2R will not become financially viable until the second year of the project, the financial burden of the insurance premium would ultimately rest with them and in this difficult financial climate this would have been an important consideration. However, a knight in shining armour arrived in the guise of the UK Trade and Investment and has offered to meet the first two years insurance costs, £10,000, thereby relieving DCC of this financial burden.

The reason for this timely award is that UK Trade and Investment see the W2R project as attracting foreign visitors and much needed revenue and has also offered to help us ‘internationalise’ in order to capitalise on this market.

Richard Drax and Political Support

We would like to congratulate Richard on becoming South Dorset Member of Parliament. Prior to his heady elevation, Richard was very supportive of W2R and helped to communicate the benefits of the project to the County Council both in terms of the local economy and community. This combined with the Leader of the Council, Angus Campbell who included us within the Olympic Legacy, has led to reasoned political support at County Hall. We look forward to Richards continued support now that he is in a position of power.

Chalk and Cheese Funding
The Chalk and Cheese grant application has been heard by the Local Action Group at a presentation held at Athelhampton House and well received. We have now successfully passed this first stage and our case is now being considered by the Executive Committee. We should have a final decision by the end of July.

Tags: Lease, Politics, Support

There have been many developments over the last few months, some good and some bad but overall we are making steady progress.
Taking on board some of the concerns highlighted in the Dorset County Council’s (DCC) cabinet report we have met with various organisations in an attempt to mitigate any problems as best we can. Read More...

We were featured on CBC Canadian Radio on 26th January.

It was a great interview and can be heard here: http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20100126.shtml

Quote:

"In the U.K., the phrase "sleeping with the fishes" could soon become a promise rather than a threat.A non-profit organisation in Dorset, England wants to make an artificial reef out of concrete balls containing cremated remains. The coordinators of the project hope these "bereavement balls" will breathe new life into the English Channel's seabed, produce a healthy marine ecosystem and bring the area's diving industry back from...well, not quite the dead, but close.Neville Copperthwaite is the project co-ordinator of Weymouth and Portland Wreck-to-Reef. We reached him at his home in Portland, England."