Bibby Stockholm: Cancelled Portland cruise stop costs local economy

The Bibby Stockholm has been moved from dry dock and is currently moored at Falmouth

The cancellation of a cruise ship visit to Portland cost the local economy up to £400,000, Portland Port says.

Princess Cruise lines' Regal Princess was due to stop at the port on Saturday with more than 3,600 passengers.

A cruise spokeswoman said it was cancelled because of a protest against the imminent arrival of asylum seeker barge, Bibby Stockholm.

President of the local chamber of commerce, Paul Appleby, is calling on the Home Office to reassure businesses.

The Bibby Stockholm is due to arrive in Portland Port in the coming days to house men claiming asylum.

Stand up to Racism held a rally on Saturday branding the plan "completely inhumane" while the No to the Barge group held a separate march.

A Princess Cruise spokeswoman said the decision to bypass Portland was made due to the protests "in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and crew".

Campaigners opposing the barge marched to Portland Port

Mr Appleby said his "heart went out" to businesses in Weymouth and Portland who "rely on the surges of visitor numbers" from cruise ship stops.

Portland Port calculated the figure of an approximate £400,000 loss in the local economy based on spend per head by passengers, crew and additional revenues for local transport operators.

The port confirmed it was currently in the process of gathering information to establish the "full facts" behind the cancellation.

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Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said: "Cruise calls to Portland Port contribute £10m to the local economy every year.

"This includes spending in shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, tourist attractions, for guides and taxis as well as for those in the supply chain such as bus and coach operators and through indirect spend.

"The port has also lost berthing fees but this is significantly outweighed by the overall cost to the local economy."

Mr Reeves confirmed all other cruise calls were expected to go ahead as planned this season.

The Bibby Stockholm has previously been used to house homeless people and asylum seekers in Germany and the Netherlands

Dawn Rondeau, from We Are Weymouth, said the cruise ships were "crucial" to the local economy.

She said: "I've spoken to several businesses and many spoke of a noticeable decline in footfall on the weekend.

"Many of Weymouth's small businesses adjust their rotas, buy in extra stock and in the food and drinks sector purchase higher levels of consumables, so for some Saturday was a disaster."

Despite the Regal Princess cancelling, the Norwegian Dawn arrived early at Portland Port on Monday

Mr Appleby added: "Businesses in Portland and Weymouth need assurance this is a one-off, knee-jerk cancellation because of the protest and not the actual barge asylum seekers themselves.

"The Home Office needs to show they're managing this well so that we don't have anymore cancellations."

Bibby Stockholm is part of the Home Office's policy to reduce the £6m daily cost of accommodating claimants.

In a statement, the Home Office said: "The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options.

"We are continuing to work extremely closely with Dorset and Portland councils, as well as the local NHS and police services, to manage any impact in Portland and address the local communities concerns, including through substantial financial support."