Lyme Regis: Jurassic simulator will be dino-soaring for free (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Lyme Regis: Jurassic simulator will be dino-soaring for free

10:00am Saturday 28th April 2012 in Lyme Regis By Rene Gerryts

ON the casting vote of Lyme Regis Mayor Sally Holman, Lyme has agreed to let the Jurassic Coast airlines project go ahead without charge on the Marine Parade Shelters.

Councillors had been considering charging the Jurassic Airlines 747 flight simulator, which will be part of the town’s Earth Festival, £640 plus VAT for its eight-day stay.

Some said it was a commercial venture, would use a lot of electricity and should pay.

It was decided to find out more before making a decision and at last week’s strategy and policy committee Coun Sally Holman said she and Coun Chris Clipson had found out more.

She said the flight simulator would be given pride of place for free outside the Pavilion in Weymouth during the Olympics.

Coun Holman said: “The whole principle of the Cultural Olympiad is that it is low energy friendly so this does not use very much.

“This is going to be the key attraction during the Olympics and being given a site right by the Pavilion and has been given that free of charge.

“The idea is to launch it here in Lyme. This is about the Earth Festival which is one of the parts of the Cultural Olympiad.”

To give it some context the Earth Festival was in The Independent supplement as number thirteenth out of 50 best spring days out, said Coun Holman.

She said: “That is how it is being viewed nationally. This is a Lyme Regis Development Trust project, it is not a commercial business project. There are charges to take part which is being made to offset the considerable development costs.”

Coun Terry O’Grady said: “This is a fantastic thing coming to this town, it is not just an attraction for the Fossil Festival.

“It is something I want to go on myself and I am sure there will be queues of people.

“I would like to propose there is no charge for this.”

But Coun Michella Ellis disagreed and thought at least the council should charge what it does for charities and not-for-profit organisations.

“It would show we are sticking to the policies we have made,” she said.

Earth Festival press officer Jill Newton said Marcus Dixon director of the Lyme Regis Development Trust, whose initiative the Earth Festival is, had met with councillors to explain more about the project.

Mrs Newton said: “We are hugely grateful for this decision which shows the vision of the council in helping this wonderful project along.

“We hope that the mayor and her councillors will be on the first trip.”