Could this quiet Cornwall seaside town become the UK’s next major cruise destination?

A £150 million plan to redevelop Falmouth Docks in Cornwall could see it become a major cruise destination. There’s significant enthusiasm from the government around the project, but locals are less supportive. 

Cruise ships do already stop at Falmouth – in 2025, 42 ships berthed in the harbour. But under the redevelopment proposals, Falmouth would start welcoming mammoth 345m-long vessels holding as many as 5,400 passengers. The plans predict that, once the redevelopment is complete, the town would welcome roughly 11 of those XL ships each year. At the moment, the largest ships that land in Falmouth can carry around 3,500 passengers. 

The redevelopment has already received backing from the UK government. At the end of last year, the Falmouth Docks project was put onto a fast-track scheme, which helps to accelerate complex development projects through the planning process. The government said that the expansion of Falmouth Docks could create hundreds of jobs, support home-grown clean energy and inject up to £13m into the local economy. 

But locals worry that the fast-tracking of the scheme could result in cut corners and a lack of scrutiny. They’re particularly concerned about the dredging that would be required. Local campaign group Stop the Dredge argued that the process would bring up sediment containing harmful chemicals like copper, mercury and arsenic, which could have ‘massive environmental, social and economic impact’. They say it puts the nearby wild oyster fishery (one of the last in Europe), habitat, wildlife and swimmers at risk. 

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has expressed the same concern and has argued that not enough evidence has been collected to do a fair and accurate environmental assessment. It says that it isn’t totally opposed to the protect but wants to ensure that is done carefully to project the environment. 

Dan Barrios-O'Neill, the head of marine conservation at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: ‘Sediment sampling carried out in preparation for the project appears inadequate, lacking the resolution needed to reliably determine which areas are dangerously contaminated and which are safe for disposal at sea.

‘Right now, the data simply cannot assure us that the organisations in charge can redevelop the docks in a safe and sustainable way.’

If the plans go ahead, the expanded Falmouth Docks is expected to be fully operational by 2030. Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee will discuss the proposals over the coming weeks and a decision on planning permission is expected at the end of the month. 

ICYMI: Plans to restore this 250-year-old canal have just taken a major step forward. 

Plus: A lost underwater city is opening as a tourist attraction in a quiet UK seaside town. 

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