The snorkel park at Dockyard - which closed two years ago - is set to be revitalised, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The Development Applications Board (DAB) granted permission earlier this month to rebuild the snorkel park in a technically-demanding engineering exercise which will see a new shore protection wall built, thousands of tonnes of sand moved to the site and living coral rocks relocated.

Snorkel park developers West End Develop Company (WEDCO) applied in February for permission to revamp the facility.

"Our clients direct us to mention, it is very necessary to reinstate the snorkel park to a condition whereby it can be confidently and safely used for the enjoyment of visitors and locals," agent Craig Chisholm of Conyers and Associates wrote to Planning in support of the application.

When the application was originally submitted the hope was to re-open the park for this year's tourist season which began on May 1 but the need for revisions to the application and the complex nature of the work to be carried out delayed that target date.

Planning officers consulted extensively with the Marine Resources Board and Fisheries to decide on a procedures which would best protect the marine environment while allowing for reconstruction of the facility.

More than 2,500 cubic yards of sand will be dredged and moved to the beach area of the park by truck, according to the DAB report on the application.

The report recommends that the sand be dredged from Head of the Lane, Gibbons Island and Pompano.

"The sand will be trucked to the site as a barge could also adversely affect the protected coral species," the report notes.

In order to avoid damaging coral currently within the perimeter of the park, 75 living, hard coral rocks will have to be moved to live reef area, the application notes.

Acting Director of Environmental Protection John Barnes told The Royal Gazette yesterday that coral rocks are often safely relocated.

Mr. Barnes said coral has been moved to the aquarium - "it didn't just grow there", he said - as well as sent overseas for the purposes of scientific study.

While, revamping the park is a large project, Mr. Barnes pointed out the developer went through a similar undertaking before the park was opened seven years ago.

"Over time the sand that was moved there has washed out," he said. "But the development was really a move forward because it had been a trash dump before that."

The DAB has directed that the new shore protection wall should not contain any wolmanised lumber and that construction methods be pre-approved by the Ministry of the Environment.

The new wall will replace an original built in 1830 to protect the perimeter of Commissioner's Point.

"In order to minimise the sedimentation onto living organisms, sediment booms shall be placed around the perimeter of the site during construction and sand deposition to the satisfaction of the Marine Resources Officer," the DAB has also directed.

The board has asked that a 20-foot setback from the sea wall be marked out with a floating perimeter boom or similar, which is to remain in place until the project is completed.

The board added: "No barge shall be permitted at any time in the vicinity of the Snorkel Park. The sand to be deposited shall be trucked to the site."

The location of the sand to be dredged and moved to the park is to be determined in consultation with technical staff from Fisheries and that all live coral inside the existing sea wall be relocated to outside the reef.

WEDCO officer Greg Gosling said he was too busy to respond to inquiries from The Royal Gazette this week.

However, Mr. Barnes said WEDCO has undertaken an environmental impact study and he is confident the development is being handled responsibly.

No objections were recorded to the application to rebuild the snorkel park.