A multi-million pound dredging scheme that will allow super cruiseships to come alongside in Falmouth took an important step forward when Falmouth harbour master Captain Mark Sansom sent off a dredging application to the Marine Consents Unit of DEFRA.

Captain Sansom explained the dredging application contained details of a hydrographic survey carried out of the proposed dredging area along with details on some seabed contamination data the docks and harbour commissioners have on record. He said the commissioners would also have to present an environmental impact statement.

DEFRA will instruct the harbour commissioners as to how many seabed core samples they require and to what depth the bore holes are to be drilled. The all-important seabed core sampling programme will start soon after key sites have been identified by DEFRA.

This survey is crucial to the entire scheme since it is known some of the seabed is contaminated by heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper and Tributylin (TBT) that has accumulated over the years from the sacrificial wash off of anti-fouling paints on commercial and leisure craft and from mining activity.

Approximately 250,000 cubic metres of spoil will have to be removed from the planned dredging area that runs from the north of Queens jetty eastwards out to the edge of the main channel in the Carrick Roads, just north of the West Narrows buoy.

The current plan is to dredge a 7.5 metre deep channel into the Northern Arm/Queens jetty with 9.5 metres alongside the berth. This will allow cruiseships such as the 109,000 ton Grand Princess which anchored in the Cross Channel in August, to berth alongside.

A partnership of A&P Falmouth, the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners and Falmouth Oil Services has agreed to fund the £25,000 cost of the survey and the dredging application. The cost of the dredging scheme is estimated at between £6-£9 million.