WESTERN MORNING NEWS SATURDAY JANUARY 29 2011 NEWS 5

WMN-E01-S2
Time to wake up and smell
the coffee on port jobs plan
BY PETRA MANN
A leading industrialist has
called for unaccountable bur-
eaucrats to wake up and
smell the coffee after multi-
million pound plans to attract
larger cruise ships to the West-
country were blocked.
Sir John Banham, former
chief of the Confedration of
British Industry is founding
chairman of the Cornwall and
the Isles of Scilly Local En-
terprise Partnership (LEP),
set up to improve the local
economy.
Sir John spoke out yester-
day after the Marine Manage-
ment Organisation (MMO)
announced on Thursday it
was not allowing a scheme by
Falmouth Harbour Commis-
sioners (FHC) and A&P Fal-
mouth to dredge the water
channel to the harbour to ac-
commodate larger vessels.
MMO bosses rejected the
scheme onenvironmental con-
cerns the site to be dredged,
is a Special Area of Conser-
vation with maerl beds. Maerl
is a red algae present only in a
few parts of the coast, that
takes up to 8,000 years to form
and is vital for fish stocks.
Sir John said Cornwall was
facing an economic tsunami
and the scheme would create
5,000 jobs. He said: These
(MMO) are unaccountable
bureaucrats who need to think
very carefully about who they
are working for and who pays
their salaries. I amnot making
my contribution to their salar-
ies for them to make life dif-
ficult for the people of
Falmouth.
What I am expecting from
themis to find solutions to the
situation and not indulge in
negative bureaucratic foot-
dragging. They need to wake
up and smell the coffee.
Sir John said the success of
the scheme was essential to
boost the Cornish economy as
a whole.
He said: Were not just talk-
ing about financial benefits
for Falmouth were talking
about the hinterland too. We
are in an era of austerity and
we desperately need new
jobs.
MMO chiefs approved the
application to amalgamate the
Queens and Northern
wharves but rejected two fur-
ther applications because of
the negative impact on the
maerl beds.
Despite the setback David
Ellis, chairman of FHC, has
vowed to fight on and says
more work will be done on the
application.
He said: As well as the
larger cruise ships visiting
Cornwall, the town would also
reap the benefits from the sig-
nificant future development of
the offshore renewable energy
sector.
In the next few months the
FHC will release its master
plan detailing the scheme.
Sir John said the master
plan was an excellent piece of
work. Its simply unaccept-
able how these people (MMO)
are behaving.
James Cross, acting chief of
the MMO said he welcomed
further discussions with the
FHC.
He said: The MMO wel-
comes further discussion with
the developer on alternative
options to meet the needs of
industry while recognising
the importance of vulnerable
habitats.
Time Team finds important prehistoric site at the bottom of a reservoir
A hidden prehistoric complex
has been unearthed at the
bottom of a reservoir.
The remains were found at
Tottiford Reservoir in Devon
when Channel 4 televisions
Time Team visited in August
last year.
Presenters Tony Robinson,
Mick Aston, Phil Harding and
Francis Pryor were among the
60-strong crew visiting the
South West.
Viewers of the new series of
the cult series will see them
unearth the prehistoric com-
plex at the bottom of the Dart-
moor reservoir. The reservoir
was drained especially for the
visiting archaeologists. The
dig also revealed some in-
triguing detail, leading ar-
chaeologists to consider that
the site may have been as-
sociated withfuneral rites and
ceremonies.
We have never had a reser-
voir drained for one of our
programmes. I hope weve
been able to make a lasting
contribution to the archae-
ology of Dartmoor National
Park, said Jim Mower, Time
Teams development produ-
cer.
The site could not be left
exposed for too long, and was
quickly refilled after the
teams departure.
Lowering the reservoir had
to be carefully managed so
that the remains werent ex-
posed for too long before the
dig, said Martin Ross, South
West Waters environmental
manager. All the water was
transferred to Trenchford
reservoir. Tottiford has now
refilled, which will protect
Time Teams discoveries for
generations to come.
The episode will be aired on
Channel 4 at 5.25pm, on Feb-
ruary 6.
Time Teams Phil Harding holding a flint tool found at Tottiford Reservoir on Dartmoor
A body found in a river near
Little Hele in South Molton,
Devon was yesterday
identified as that of Muriel
Barrow, who has been
missing from her home in the
area since January 24. The
82-year-olds body was found
by police and members of the
Exmoor Search and Rescue.
Investigations will continue
into the cause of her death.
Body identified
The future of holiday camp
brand Pontins was secured
yesterday after
administrators announced its
sale in a move which will
safeguard the jobs of all 850
staff. The holiday company,
which called in
administrators KPMG in
November, has been sold to
the Britannia Hotel Group,
which owns the famous
Adelphi hotel in Liverpool.
All five sites, including Brean
Sands in Somerset, have
continued to run as normal
while KPMG hunted for a
buyer. Alex Langsam, owner
of Britannia, said: The
prospects for Pontins are
very exciting. Our plans will
take shape without delay as
we look towards developing a
bright future whilst retaining
the best traditions of the past.
Pontins will remain a
national treasure, to be
enjoyed by generations to
come.
In November, KPMG said
Pontin's had run out of cash
because bookings had fallen
drastically throughout 2010.
Pontins camps sale
safeguards jobs
Sir John
Banham said
Cornwall was
facing an
economic
tsunami and
the scheme
would create
5,000 jobs
GRANTS
for young peopIe aged between 11 and 20
residing in Devon and CornwaII
o qoo hove oo ombitioo to embork oo o life-
choogiog, chorocter boildiog octivitq like soiliog
oo the Ioll Ships, wolkiog oo the Ieo Iors, or giviog
qoor time to oid people io oeed7
Moqbe qoo woot to goio o qooli0cotioo io ooce,
rt or Mosic.
Grants are available to help you on your way.
Applications giving brief details of your
plans and your own contribution to them
must be sent in before the 18th February 2011 to:
The Secretary
Battisborough Charitable Trust
57 Green Park Road Plymstock Plymouth PL9 9HU
Charity no 667536
Jokeu collecl. Subjecl lo availabilily. Jerus aud coudilious apply.
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