PUPILS were among the guests as the Mayor of Portland opened the £10million Portland Marina.

Youngsters from Underhill watched the ceremony and met Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison at the new complex on Osprey Quay.

Work on the project has taken a year to complete. It features a new marina operations building as well as the Boat That Rocks bar and restaurant, 14 new business units, five workshops, three wind turbines and fuel bunkers for the boats.

Town mayor Richard Paisley and his wife, Corinne Paisley, cut a ribbon to officially open the complex.

He said: “The whole development is brilliant and it has regenerated the area fantastically.

“I am very excited about the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics because the whole world will be watching Portland, and there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

“The end result is great and I am so pleased with it.”

The project was built by Ferndown based-G&H.

Construction and development manager Barry Milburn said: “Despite the site challenges and extreme weather conditions, we were not only able to meet the client’s original objectives but we also facilitated significant savings, which enabled the construction of additional facilities on the site.

“Portland Marina is a project that will be showcased to the world in 2012. We are honoured to construct such a high-profile, flagship project – one that Dorset can be proud of – the forthcoming Olympic Games.”

The project has gained a rating of ‘Very Good’ under the internationally-approved BRE Environmental Assessment Method. Sustainability, responsible supply chains and care of the sensitive environment were a high priority on the project.

The site has three wind turbines and locally-sourced materials, including stone from quarries on Portland.