11:36am Friday 2nd May 2008
THIS massive tide of seaweed demonstrates that a new 290-berth marina could flood Weymouth's prized beach with a river of rubbish, retired lecturer Geoffrey Poole claimed today.
A council exhibition into the Howard Holdings scheme highlighted a report by experts at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Wallingford which says the marina can be implemented without adverse impact on Weymouth Beach'.
The council's September 2007 management committee then formally concluded that the planned marina was not detrimental to the beach' and that its size need not be restricted to 150 berths.
But Mr Poole, who correctly predicted the movement of shingle at Overcombe following work on the beach at Greenhill, claims that the report also comments on floating pollutants - such as sewage, plastic and fast food containers - and that this does pose a real threat to the beach.
He has a copy of the Wallingford report and agreed with its experts that there was no cause for concern for the beach in tests applied specifically to potential dissolved pollutants.
But he added: "What has been omitted from the exhibition is what the report goes on to say."
He said it read: Floating pollutants may behave in a different way and are greatly subject to wind. The marina may shelter flotsam and jetsam to a greater degree.' Mr Poole said the huge influx of floating seaweed recently washed up on the beach may be an ominous sign of things to come from the marina.
He added: "The marina may well pose no threat from dissolved pollutants such as germs, but the report clearly says that floating waste may be driven on to the beach.
"Now if the marina has 290 berths it could be a pollution disaster for Weymouth the first time a strong on-shore wind occurs.
"We could find ourselves facing a tideline of trouble from waste such as sewage, discarded fast food containers and all manner of other rubbish washing up on our prized beach.
"Unless some form of strict waste management can be achieved then the council should turn down the marina altogether. Otherwise it will be a straight choice between boats or the beach. I think it is a shocking threat to something that the council claims is the jewel in its crown.
"If this large marina goes ahead then it will be a case of when' the beach is covered in rubbish, not if, and people will potentially be going sunbathing or building sandcastles against a backdrop of a constant tide of rubbish."
Weymouth and Portland planning manager Simon Williams said: "Any marina would be subject to a strict management regime which would include matters of waste management and disposal.
"The primary decision authority for the marina at Weymouth will be the Government's Department of Transport and they will consider environmental impact in a most rigorous manner including potential impacts on the beach."
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