Dredging Falmouth
The South west Regional Development Agency (RDA) and Objective One Funding Program for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will have put forward plans to dredge the Fal River to allow larger cruise liners into the port of Falmouth and develop the wharf with new terminals and site facilities, docks and coaching. The project is expected to cost £41 thousand with an environmental study of £117 thousand.
Falmouth is a site already heavily involved in maritime culture for centuries. Darwin after his famous time trip to the Galapagos Islands returned to Falmouth, as did Ellen MacArthur after she broke the record for sailing round the world in the fastest time. Falmouth at present is one of the busiest docks in Britain, with both small and large shipping and yachting. There is also Falmouth Docks (A&P), a world renowned business and Falmouth already supports a small amount of Cruise Liners already. The port is also the third largest natural deep water port in the world (for more on the dock click here) with the Tall Ships Festival happening in the town on a semi regular basis.
Falmouth the town would benefit heavily for the influx of tourists. As would too the rest of Cornwall, a Duchy already economically restrained economically.
The current plans aside from the rejuvenation project, requires the removal of the silt built up in the Fal River leading into the port. This dredging is broken between two separate areas, with some of the dredged material being reclaimed for beneficial use in creation schemes and filling schemes, with the rest of the unwanted material being disposed of at sea (for a complete survey in a Environmental Scoping Study click here).
The actions of dredging come under certain legal authoritive powers;
The Falmouth Docks act 1959 gives the powers to the A&P group to carry out improvements under section 7 (relating to maintenance and improvements) & section 26 (carry out dredging)
&
The Falmouth Harbour Act 1870 that defines the harbour limits and establishes the statutory powers for the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners
The dredging will need the appropriate assessment and legal requirements to be carried out;
Coastal Protection Act 1949 in regards to safety of shipping navigation and the potential towards the environment (see EIA).
Food & Environment Protection Act 1985 (under part II of the act) regards the effect to health standards that may affect other water users. Mussel farmers and fishermen also beach managers such as local councils.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will need to be carried out to establish the threats to the natural environment that could be affected by the project. The requirement for EIA is established by European Directive 85/33/EEC as amended by 97/11/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (the EIA Directive).
The EIA for Falmouth is already in progress.
One of the main areas of concern will be effects to the Falmouth SAC.
Falmouth SAC is a protected area designated under the EC Habitats Directive. It is not only a valuable habitat for a plethora of species, but also part of the attraction to Falmouth and the local areas.
Main areas of concern towards impacts come for direct actions from the dredging itself (air quality impacts, noise impacts, water quality impacts, waste management implications, ecological impact, fisheries impacts, plus visual and landscape impacts), but also indirect actions such as the influx in shipping, suspended particles in the water system, ship to ship transfers and habitat loss (although this can be reclaimed). There could also be risks to mineral depositing and movement. The assessment of the two would require major hydrological mapping and tracking.
The Contract for the EIA was given to Royal Haskoning’s Exeter team (at £500,000) and the assessment is set to be completed by the end of July 2008. The project when completed will allow the entrance of some of the world’s largest ships into Cornwall providing economic improvements, but the impacts of the environment and the un-estimatable value of the natural environment have also to taken into consideration in a precautionary and holistic approach.
For a more in depth article on the dredging practice click here
For an article from Marine SAC about effects from dredging click here
Falmouth is a site already heavily involved in maritime culture for centuries. Darwin after his famous time trip to the Galapagos Islands returned to Falmouth, as did Ellen MacArthur after she broke the record for sailing round the world in the fastest time. Falmouth at present is one of the busiest docks in Britain, with both small and large shipping and yachting. There is also Falmouth Docks (A&P), a world renowned business and Falmouth already supports a small amount of Cruise Liners already. The port is also the third largest natural deep water port in the world (for more on the dock click here) with the Tall Ships Festival happening in the town on a semi regular basis.
Falmouth the town would benefit heavily for the influx of tourists. As would too the rest of Cornwall, a Duchy already economically restrained economically.
The current plans aside from the rejuvenation project, requires the removal of the silt built up in the Fal River leading into the port. This dredging is broken between two separate areas, with some of the dredged material being reclaimed for beneficial use in creation schemes and filling schemes, with the rest of the unwanted material being disposed of at sea (for a complete survey in a Environmental Scoping Study click here).
The actions of dredging come under certain legal authoritive powers;
The Falmouth Docks act 1959 gives the powers to the A&P group to carry out improvements under section 7 (relating to maintenance and improvements) & section 26 (carry out dredging)
&
The Falmouth Harbour Act 1870 that defines the harbour limits and establishes the statutory powers for the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners
The dredging will need the appropriate assessment and legal requirements to be carried out;
Coastal Protection Act 1949 in regards to safety of shipping navigation and the potential towards the environment (see EIA).
Food & Environment Protection Act 1985 (under part II of the act) regards the effect to health standards that may affect other water users. Mussel farmers and fishermen also beach managers such as local councils.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will need to be carried out to establish the threats to the natural environment that could be affected by the project. The requirement for EIA is established by European Directive 85/33/EEC as amended by 97/11/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (the EIA Directive).
The EIA for Falmouth is already in progress.
One of the main areas of concern will be effects to the Falmouth SAC.
Falmouth SAC is a protected area designated under the EC Habitats Directive. It is not only a valuable habitat for a plethora of species, but also part of the attraction to Falmouth and the local areas.
Main areas of concern towards impacts come for direct actions from the dredging itself (air quality impacts, noise impacts, water quality impacts, waste management implications, ecological impact, fisheries impacts, plus visual and landscape impacts), but also indirect actions such as the influx in shipping, suspended particles in the water system, ship to ship transfers and habitat loss (although this can be reclaimed). There could also be risks to mineral depositing and movement. The assessment of the two would require major hydrological mapping and tracking.
The Contract for the EIA was given to Royal Haskoning’s Exeter team (at £500,000) and the assessment is set to be completed by the end of July 2008. The project when completed will allow the entrance of some of the world’s largest ships into Cornwall providing economic improvements, but the impacts of the environment and the un-estimatable value of the natural environment have also to taken into consideration in a precautionary and holistic approach.
For a more in depth article on the dredging practice click here
For an article from Marine SAC about effects from dredging click here
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