Mark Robinson, RYA Performance Director issued the following statement on the proposed Portland incinerator.
‘Portland is the home of British Sailing.
We want it to remain so for years to come, protecting the London 2012 legacy and offering the best opportunities for future generations of our sport, however, the health of our athletes and our staff is our paramount concern right now.
We believe in the power of community and while we know the topic of incinerators is complex, we wholeheartedly support our athletes in their right to protest. Equally, as an organisation, we advocate the principles of a circular economy to reduce reliance on waste combustion as a solution.
If the incinerator gets the green light we are committed to working with our partners to drive forward research into the specific health concerns, in the hope that we never see the day where we have to reconsider our home.’
From Mark Robinson, RYA Performance Director of the British Sailing Team – 7 Feb 2025.
In November 2024, British Oympic sailors threatened to leave their training base at WPNSA if the Portland waste incinerator was built nearby to the 2012 Olympic Base.
Plans for the incinerator in the location of the area used for the sailing events during the 2012 Olympic Games, were refused unanimously by Dorset Council in March 2023 over concerns about potential damage to the region’s heritage landscape, as well as for a lack of compliance with local waste plans.
The Jurassic Coast area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the landscape adjacent is an area of Outstanding Beauty.
That decision was overturned by the government in September 2024 following an appeal by developer Powerfuel Portland, which led to a public inquiry.
The Stop Portland Waste Incinerator (SPWI) campaign group has filed a legal claim challenging the decision to grant planning permission.
The group has so far managed to raise over £70,000 to support the legal challenge.
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