Port Penlee

A major step forwards in bringing an exciting new tourism and leisure development to West Cornwall has now been taken. 100 acres of largely brown field land at Penlee Quarry has now been acquired by MDL Developments Ltd, The UK's largest marina operator. The working name for the project is to be Port Penlee.

Edward Iliffe, Director of MDL Development Ltd, says, 'We see this as a unique location for a marina, and an ideal opportunity for us to invest in Cornwall. We have been in informal discussion with local partners for a number of years now, and look forward to working alongside Penwith District Council in order to maximise the benefits to the eventual users of the site, and the community in which it will sit'.

This news follows a four year land assembly acquisition process started by local man, Tony Jarman. The first idea for the project came when Mr. Jarman took a pleasure flight over the West Cornwall coastline in 1988. He flew over the vast empty quarry and recognised the possibility. Tony kept his vision alive for over ten years, initiating a first-principle feasibility study, instigating the land assembly process and exploring potential project partners.

In 1999, he approached MDL to consider a partnership, and they agreed to take on the project. Tony says ' It has been a long process to date, and there is a lot more still to be done, but I believe we are now on our way to realising a major new project for West Cornwall'.

De Facto Project Management, who carried out the initial feasibility work, has stayed in touch with the project since those early days. Ingrid Heseltine, MD of De Facto, says, 'We have been 'on board' with this project for over five years. I remember sitting in a meeting at Penwith CD, with Tony and various others, discussing the potential of the project, back in 1999, and the tangible excitement about what could be done with the quarry which, as anyone who has seen it agrees, is a stunning, exceptional location. Now that the property deal has been done, we can finally get on with talking to the community about how they feel, developing the details of the proposals, and delivering something great for west Cornwall which will sit well with the proposals for Newlyn.

The cost of the project is currently estimated to be in the region of £57 million - primarily funded by private sector capital. Assistance will be sought from the public sector towards infrastructure costs such as the public route around the basin - which will have a wider benefit to locals and existing visitors.

The project team stress that plans for the eventual mix of uses for the site will not be confirmed until an extensive consultation process with the community, businesses and community groups in this area of Cornwall, and with regional representatives. Initial plans for the brownfield site, however, include a marina in the quarry basin, a luxury hotel and residential properties. In addition, subject to local views, Port Penlee is considering commercial development (retail, restaurants etc), visit attractions and facilities, and public car parking provision.