Work has begun on the new Weymouth Tower (From Dorset Echo)
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Work has begun on the new Weymouth Tower
1:00pm Saturday 19th November 2011 in News By Rachael Burnett
RISING UP: Work on the Weymouth Tower
Preparation work has begun for the new Weymouth Tower ready for laying the foundations in January.
Concrete piles are being sunk 17 metres into the ground to create a watertight area for the main excavations of the observation tower.
Members of a world champion sailing team will be attending a ceremony in January when work will officially begin on the foundations.
The £3.5million attraction from Weymouth Sea Life Park, owned by Merlin Entertainments, is set to open in July 2012.
Mark Oakley, a spokesman for Merlin Entertainments, said: “It’s going well, our plan is to be ready to start work on the foundations for the New Year and we are on track for that.
“Fingers crossed for the weather keeping mild because we could be ahead of schedule.
At the ceremony, on January 4, a huge mechanical digger will begin on the seven-metre deep hole for the tower’s foundations.
GBR Match Race Girls sailing team members Annie Lush and sisters Kate and Lucy Macgregor, will be coming along to officially break the soil.
The team are the current world champions in women’s match racing and will be competing in the Olympic 2012 sailing events in Weymouth.
Mr Oakley said: “We also want to get cranes in place shortly so we can get our special guests up to the height of the tower.
“Hopefully we can give a few people a preview of the tower’s views at the groundbreaking event.
“We are excited to confirm what can be seen from up there,” he added.
“The views over Portland and Weymouth Bay and the Jurassic Coast will definitely be visible but the mystery is what can be seen looking back in land.”
Standing 53 metres high on the corner of the pier, the revolving observation pod will offer dramatic views over the Olympic sailing arena, into the English Channel and over Dorset countryside.
Craig Dunkerley, manager of the Sea Life Park and of the tower, said: “We’ve been really encouraged by the very warm reception the tower plans have received from the local population.”
Recently a decision was made to officially name the attraction ‘The Weymouth Tower’.
Constructed and shipped to the UK in sections by German company, Huss, the tower’s total weight will be 130 metric tons. The pod can carry 70 passengers at a time.
Comments(26)
rjimmer
says...
4:42pm Sat 19 Nov 11
weymouthfox
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5:28pm Sat 19 Nov 11
markw5
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5:58pm Sat 19 Nov 11
No company in the UK good enough then? Shame on you
melpear
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5:58pm Sat 19 Nov 11
The people of Weymouth seem to be very negative about new developments.
They should be complaining to the local & County Councils about the lack of progress on the Brewers Quay scheme which is losing the town a huge amount of revenue.
Mel Pearson a regular visitor to Weymouth
TenBobDylanThomasHardy
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7:35pm Sat 19 Nov 11
Tinker2
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11:52pm Sat 19 Nov 11
SILVERMAN
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11:57pm Sat 19 Nov 11
Kevin Gill
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4:41am Sun 20 Nov 11
MattWey77
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9:25am Sun 20 Nov 11
Sideshow Bob
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11:19am Sun 20 Nov 11
X Old Bill
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11:26am Sun 20 Nov 11
Kevin Gill wrote:No, just a strong work ethic - Unlike many British people.
Do the Germans still use slave labour?
H2o-hara
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2:51pm Sun 20 Nov 11
Kevin Gill wrote:I've not ever met a work shy one yet !
Do the Germans still use slave labour?
weymouth_lettuce
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5:52am Mon 21 Nov 11
Desk24
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7:36am Mon 21 Nov 11
212 dorset
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10:29am Mon 21 Nov 11
weymouth_lettuce wrote:How many people are likely to use it before or during the Olympics??? This tower has absolutely no chance of succeeding..This is not being negative..This is a fact..Just work out how many people have to go up the tower for the company to even recoup the alleged intial investment of 3 million..Base your results on a minimum cost of £7 per person..(and thats being very optimistic) ..It wont happen in the 5 year lease thats for sure.
How many people are actually going to use it after the Olympics?
iampuzzled
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10:31am Mon 21 Nov 11
For those who have to resort to Google for translation -
It is only the first step that costs.
I await with bated breath, the meaning behind this comment.
boobooweymouth
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1:56pm Mon 21 Nov 11
wessex-andy
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3:15pm Mon 21 Nov 11
Whatever it look like when it's completed it won't be worse than what the end of our pier has been deteriorating into over the past few years. If it's anything like the Spinnaker Tower, it will become a local landmark that many people will immediately recognise as being Weymouth.
There are many things that could be done in Weymouth to improve the attraction to tourists. Bring 'em on as long as the finance doesn't come out of my pocket via taxes of any sort.
old-mo
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3:25pm Mon 21 Nov 11
If it brings creates some thing new in Weymouth that is likely to bring a few more tourist`s, it has to be good for the town..
Lets have some more idea`s, Weymouth may be a "Bucket & Spade" holiday resort but lets face it it`s a tired old town that needs more......more attractions has to be a good thing...
Stop being negative regarding new idea`s and start to embrace them.
Let`s have more..
212 dorset
says...
8:37pm Mon 21 Nov 11
boobooweymouth wrote:boobooweymouth......
@212 I presume you have more experience of running these type of attractions than Merlin, who only have the London Eye & Sealife Centre under their belts?
.Its nothing to do with experience of running a business..Work out the numbers and tell me if they are likely to make a profit in 5 years?? (lenght of initial lease).
weymouth1990
says...
9:28pm Mon 21 Nov 11
markw5 wrote:you cant beat german engineering.
"Constructed and shipped to the UK in sections by German company, Huss" No company in the UK good enough then? Shame on you
boobooweymouth
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7:43am Tue 22 Nov 11
It may fail but is more likely to succeed. And as others have said if it does fail they lose not us.
Exciting that our town is getting all this investment creating jobs & prosperity.
ijwufo68
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5:16pm Tue 22 Nov 11
mark@greenhill
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6:32am Fri 25 Nov 11
The people who constantly complain about anything new coming to this town, are usually the retired, who having found their home by the sea, want to pull up the drawbridge & keep everything exactly the same until they die.
It's an incredibly selfish attitude, that takes no account of the many businesses that require a constant flow of visitors, or the people of this town that still need to work.
Visitors have many, many choices of towns to visit & spend their money in, & unless Weymouth constantly improves & keeps adding new attractions, those visitors along with their money, will very quickly go elsewhere. If they go, so do the jobs.
But of course, that won't worry the selfish moaners that have no need of the jobs or income so generated.
If you have nothing positive to say about the town, I suggest you shut up or move out ?
212 dorset
says...
2:59pm Fri 25 Nov 11
mark@greenhill wrote:Its called people haveing an honest opinion...Or would you rather everyone thought and felt the same?? Your entitled to think that the tower will be a great success, just as much as people are entitled to feel it will be a big flop.
Honestly, the negative "let's keep Weymouth in the dark ages" brigade really would object to electricity & running water if we didn't already have it. The people who constantly complain about anything new coming to this town, are usually the retired, who having found their home by the sea, want to pull up the drawbridge & keep everything exactly the same until they die. It's an incredibly selfish attitude, that takes no account of the many businesses that require a constant flow of visitors, or the people of this town that still need to work. Visitors have many, many choices of towns to visit & spend their money in, & unless Weymouth constantly improves & keeps adding new attractions, those visitors along with their money, will very quickly go elsewhere. If they go, so do the jobs. But of course, that won't worry the selfish moaners that have no need of the jobs or income so generated. If you have nothing positive to say about the town, I suggest you shut up or move out ?
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H2o-hara says...
4:14pm Sat 19 Nov 11