Peel Marina Dredgings

Summary

The request sought details on the date, costs, and disposal plans for Peel Marina dredgings. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the dredging date, removal timeline, and intended reuse location, but withheld specific leasing costs citing commercial sensitivity.

Key Facts

• The last dredging of Peel Marina took place on 28th May 2021.
• Removal of dredged material from the temporary lagoon is proposed for Q3 2025.
• The dredged material is intended to be reused as construction material for rehabilitating former mining areas in the River Neb catchment.
• The total cost of the dredging project between April 2018 and March 2023 was £2.993m.
• Specific costs for leasing the field were withheld under Section 30 of the Act.

Data Disclosed

• 28th May 2021
• Q3 2025
• £2.993m
• April 2018
• March 2023
• 24/00301/B
• Section 30

Exemptions Cited

• Section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Commercial interests)

Original Request

1. What was the date that the last dredging of Peel Marina took place?; and 2. When is it proposed to remove the dredgings from the last dredging of Peel Marina from their 'temporary' dewatering lagoon in the field adjacent to Peel Power Station?; and 3. Where does the Department intend to dump the dredgings referred to from their temporary de-watering lagoon, once they have been removed?; and 4. What has been the cost to date of dredging Peel Marina?; and 5. What was the cost of creating the de-watering lagoon; and 6. What has been the cost to date of leasing the field in which the de-watering lagoon has been created; and 7. What are the ongoing costs of leasing the field referred to?

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 4145721 7 October 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 24 September 2024, which states:

"1. What was the date that the last dredging of Peel Marina took place?; and

1. When is it proposed to remove the dredgings from the last dredging of Peel Marina from their 'temporary' dewatering lagoon in the field adjacent to Peel Power Station?; and

2. Where does the Department intend to dump the dredgings referred to from their temporary de-watering lagoon, once they have been removed?; and

3. What has been the cost to date of dredging Peel Marina?; and

4. What was the cost of creating the de-watering lagoon; and

5. What has been the cost to date of leasing the field in which the de-watering lagoon has been created; and

6. What are the ongoing costs of leasing the field referred to?"

Our response to your request is as follows: I have detailed below the information.

1. 28th May 2021

2. Information is already in the Public Domain. DOI Planning Application 24/00301/B Environmental Impact Assessment Table 2.4 states “Removal of existing dredged material – Q3 2025”

3. Information is already in the Public Domain. DOI Planning Application 24/00301/B Environmental Impact Assessment Section 1.2.2 states “The DOI intends to re-use the dredged material from Peel Marina as a soil-like construction material within Government works for rehabilitating and revegetating land at former mining areas in the upper catchment of the River Neb (e.g., Cross Vein Mine).”

4. Costs of dredging prior to 2020 are excluded from this information

Cost of dredging project (including professional fees, land lease, contractor constructing the lagoon and dredging operations) between April 2018 and March 2023 = £2.993m

1. Included in answer 4 above

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information is exempt from disclosure under section 30 of the Act as disclosure WOULD prejudice the commercial interests of person (including your public authority.)

3. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information is exempt from disclosure under section 30 of the Act as disclosure WOULD prejudice the commercial interests of person (including your public authority.)

As section 30 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large.

Factors in favour of disclosure • Promoting Transparency and Accountability
• Public Scrutiny of Decision-Making

Factors in favour of withholding • Commercial Sensitivity
• Impact on Future Contracts
• Risk of Prejudice to Negotiations

In taking these factors into account the Department of Infrastructure determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.

Please quote the reference number 4145721 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.