Statement from Dorset Council re Bibby Stockholm contract

The Home Secretary has today announced that the contract for the Bibby Stockholm barge will not be renewed at Portland Port and therefore the vessel will no longer be in operation from the end of this contract in January 2025. 

We have just issued the following statement:

Cllr Nick Ireland, Leader of Dorset Council, said:

“We very much welcome the news that the Bibby Stockholm barge will no longer be operational in Portland after January 2025. Our thanks go to the new Labour government for taking an early decision on this.

“Since the Bibby Stockholm arrived a year ago, we have worked hard to support the residents of the barge and also tried to mitigate the impact on local communities. Dorset Council has been opposed to the barge being sited at Portland Port from the very beginning as this was never a suitable location for this facility.

“We will work closely with the Home Office and other partners to ensure the smooth running of arrangements over the final few months.”

We will update this page as more information becomes available to us.