Waters recede on Nirah threat
7th December 2006

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NIRAH Campaigners Take Protest to City of London
27th November 2006

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Nirah protesters in council skirmish
26th November 2006

There was a fishy kerfuffle in the corridors of local government on Friday.

At noon, around a dozen people turned up unexpectedly to protest against the "cruel" Nirah project.

Voices were raised and tempers became frayed before the protestors were eventually kicked out by council staff. read more

Cllr Richard Stay, cabinet member for finance said: "A group of about half a dozen or so people turned up at County Hall on Friday demanding to speak to us about Nirah.

"They spoke to a senior officer in our reception area for about half an hour, and there was a frank exchange of views.

"They then carried on their protest outside.

"Our position on Nirah has not changed one iota.

"We support the project for all of the huge economic and place-making benefits it will bring to Bedfordshire.

"We are looking forward to receiving a planning application from Nirah in the very near future."

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Nirah hits back over MP's Beeb remarks
1st November 2006

An MP and the BBC are facing libel action over remarks about Nirah.

The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats has written to Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries over remarks she made on BBC television's Politics Show last month.

Nirah's legal team has also written to the BBC demanding disclosure of all footage featuring Mrs Dorries, whether broadcast or not.

During her appearance on the programme, Mrs Dorries amplified remarks she had made to officers at Bedfordshire County Council.

In emails obtained by Bedfordshire on Sunday under the Freedom of Information Act, Mrs Dorries expressed doubts over Nirah's spending plans and said she would not trust director Peter May to design her garden shed.

Nirah has also written to the BBC concerning remarks made on Three Counties Radio.

Mrs Dorries told BoS: "I haven't received any letter from Nirah yet, but I'm looking forward to reading it."

A spokesman for Nirah confirmed letters to Mrs Dorries and the BBC went out on Friday and added: "Given the overwhelming support Nirah has received from the people of Bedfordshire we have been saddened and disappointed by the approach adopted by the BBC and the elected member for Mid Bedfordshire towards the project in recent months."

A BBC spokesman said: "We are not aware of any such letter but it will be dealt with in the correct way by the relevant department when it is received."

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Nirah cash may prompt 'planning application soon'
23rd October 2006

Move by council bosses to further release funds of £200,000 welcomed by supporters

THE stand-off between the county council and the backers of a bid to bring an aquatic conservation and visitor centre to Stewartby may have finally ended this week.

On Tuesday, the cabinet at County Hall agreed to release £200,000 to Nirah Holdings, the firm fronting the plan for the freshwater wildlife attraction.

The company was not prepared to immediately comment on the move, saying it had to first study the terms of the offer.

But Nirah's supporters were relieved the money was on the table and seemed to think it would allow a planning application for the scheme to be submitted soon.

Mayor of Bedford, Frank Branston, has personally paid £50,000 into Nirah's coffers after it spent £3 million of an agreed £4 million in public loans.

He said: "It's an important step. Nirah has come a long way and reduced the amount it required by £100,000. Now it can go forward to the next stage. Once it has got a planning application in and gets permission, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and Nirah can go to the money markets and the City and get the money it needs.

"Nirah is a commercial company, but when you look at what it will do for Bedfordshire, including the regeneration of the brickpits, £4 million is buttons."

Nirah wants to build the world's largest controlled freshwater environment at the Quest Pit near Stewartby, and fill it with recreated habitats containing fish, reptiles and amphibians.

The bulk of its £375 million start-up costs are expected to come from large private investors after it has obtained planning permission.

To get to that stage, it was loaned £3 million by a consortium made up of the county council and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). Bedfordshire provided £1 million, and EEDA the balance.

But when that money ran out, Nirah asked the county council for £300,000 from an already agreed instalment of an additional £1 million.

The county offered the cash, but Nirah refused it and claimed the terms were unacceptable.

Since then the county has taken fresh legal advice on the risks of loaning the money, and the frosty relations between the two sides appear to have thawed.

However, the council is still insisting it receives a planning application from Nirah before it meets the company's revised request for £200,000 ­ one of the stumbling blocks when the previous offer was made.

And at Tuesday's meeting, questions were again raised about the lack of private money spent on developing the scheme so far, compared with the public purse contribution.

Coun Gordon Willey (Lib Dem, Wootton) said the public "seed money" was an "act of faith by the people of Bedfordshire", reflecting the "depth of support for the project".

Nirah's planning application is now expected by November 16.

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Girls present aquarium petition
17th October 2006

Two 10-year-old girls are to present a petition to Bedfordshire County Council in support of plans for a huge fresh water aquarium in the county.

The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) wants to build the aquarium at Stewartby.

The council Executive Committee meets next week to decide Nirah's fate. read more

Connie Joy and Nicola Bishop collected 500 signatures from friends, and they will present a 10,000-signature petition before the meeting.

Other petitions came from the community, businesses, shops and offices The committee is being recommended to back a loan of £200,000 to Nirah.

The aquarium would be a scientific research centre and a visitor attraction, four times larger than the Eden Project, in Cornwall.

Nirah has already received £3m in loans to develop a business plan and seek planning permission

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Nirah log-jam set to clear with 'cash set to flow soon'
6th October 2006

The legal log-jam holing up plans for a £375 million freshwater science and visitor attraction at Stewartby seems to be on the point of resolution.

Bedfordshire County Council and the company behind the huge scheme - NIRAH Holdings - fell out in July amid claims the local authority had attached "unacceptable conditions" to an offer of extra start-up cash

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Row over secret aquarium report
6th October 2006

A secret report by a development agency on a £375m aquarium plan, supported by £3m public money, has been criticised.

The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has produced a report on plans for the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) in Beds.

The report was requested by the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA). read more

Assembly member Chris White, who asked for the report, said it did not provide enough information. EEDA said the report was commercially confidential.

Nirah and its backers have said the new centre would combine hi-tech science jobs with a visitor attraction to rival Cornwall's Eden Project.

Bedfordshire County Council and EEDA have so far loaned Nirah Holdings £3m of public money to make Nirah a reality.

Anticipated costs have spiralled from £250m to £375m and the tourism element has come to dominate over scientific research, prompting critics to question the whole project.

Earlier this year Nirah directors appealed to the public to help fund the scheme.

EERA confirmed that on Wednesday next week a report by EEDA would be discussed by the assembly, but said it was a confidential report and would not be open to public scrutiny.

Mr White, who is leader of the Liberal Democrats on Hertfordshire County Council and a deputy chair of EERA, said he had called for the report because of the large amount of public money already involved in the project.

'Business plan'

He said having looked at the report it did not provide enough information.

"It was not what I wanted. I would like to have seen a business plan for Nirah," said Mr White.

He said that although he understood commercial confidentiality was an issue he felt EEDA could have produced a report on Nirah that could have made public.

A spokesman for EEDA said the three page, 1,000-word report to EERA was honest and detailed, and had to be kept confidential to protect commercial sensitivities.

An agency representative will be able to update the assembly on the latest developments, he added

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Nirah row officer quits
24th September 2006

The senior council officer at the heart of the ongoing Nirah row has resigned.

Tim Malynn has been Bedfordshire County Council¹s environment director since 2003.

He is the fifth of the council¹s seven directors to quit in the last 12 months, following education director David Doran, deputy chief executive Jonathan Flowers, customer services director Paul Spencer and finance director Nick Bell.

Mr Bell left to take a job at Westminster Borough Council but no explanation has ever been given for the other three resignations.

It is understood that Mr Malynn will be taking up a position with construction giants Balfour Beatty.

Last week, Bedfordshire on Sunday published emails exchanged between Mr Malynn and Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries.

In these, Mr Malynn appeared to suggest that the council had deliberately attached conditions to £300,000 of outstanding aid for Nirah, in order to force the project to seek private money.

In other emails, Mr Malynn comments on Nirah¹s spending intentions and tells Mrs Dorries: ³Would love to ask them about this but they are very cautious with me. Can¹t think why!² Mr Malynn announced his resgination in a confidential council email.

In it, he stated: ³Contrary to some of the rumours l am coming across my decision has nothing to do with Nirah; indeed the project is the one thing that almost keeps me here.

³l will be very robust in dealing with any rumours and would ask you to let me know of any that you come across. Quite frankly l am shocked that such scandalous suggestions are even being suggested. My integrity is something that l guard with passion.²

In a statement later Mr Malynn said: ³This was not an easy decision to take given the potential that there is in Bedfordshire. ³But having spent 30 years in the public sector and having had four directorships, it is an offer l can¹t refuse.²

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Tide turns for city in bid to host the world's biggest aquarium
16th August 2006

THE world's largest aquarium could make a shock comeback to Liverpool - 18 months after it was lost to the south east

City officials have reopened talks with Nirah, the organisation planning to build a £375m sanctuary for endangered freshwater species.

Early last year, Nirah (The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats) chose a Bedfordshire clay pit ahead of Central Docks as the proposed site for the Eden Project-style tourist attraction

Nirah had approached Liverpool first but was told by then chief executive Sir David Henshaw that there was no room in the city and to go to Wirral instead.

The council changed its mind when the project was scaled down in size, but Bedfordshire was eventually chosen because of its proximity to London and three universities.

Nirah was accused of "southern bias" by then council leader Mike Storey when rejecting the city as a potential home for the futuristic complex.

But the project has stalled after a series of rows between Bedfordshire county council and Nirah.

Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) has now stepped in and held talks with Nirah about the prospect of coming to Liverpool.

It is unclear which site is being considered, but the aquarium, which would house fish, amphibians and reptiles from across the world, would need as much space as the 70-acre Central Docks.

LLDC today declined to comment, but council leader Warren Bradley said: "I am meeting with LLDC this week to discuss this issue."

Council Labour leader Joe Anderson said: "The council must pull out all the stops and set out exactly how it can help Nirah move to Liverpool.

"We should go out of our way to make Nirah feel wanted."

1.5m tourists a year

NIRAH'S development is expected to attract 1.5m tourists a year and create hundreds of jobs.

It will consist of two 110ft-high bio-domes in which habitats based on the Amazonian rain-forest and Vietnam's Mekong River will be recreated.

They will be home to 30,000 rare and endangered species such as tropical tree frogs, giant tortoises and komodo dragons, while giant tanks will house rays and sharks.

Money row leaves project at standstill

A ROW about money has left Nirah's future in Bedfordshire uncertain.

The project is being bankrolled in its early stages by Bedfordshire county council and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

Of an agreed £4m loan to Nirah, the county council has so far provided £1m and the EEDA £2m.

But problems surfaced when Nirah requested £600,000 from the £4m loan so it could finish a planning application.

A deal was struck so Nirah would secure £300,000 privately and £300,000 from the county council.

But when the county council eventually put its £300,000 on the table after taking legal advice, Nirah rejected it, claiming the offer was "deliberately framed" with unacceptable conditions.

Since then, Nirah has raised £20,000 from a public appeal to progress the project.

The county council is now taking fresh legal advice on whether it can provide the extra £300,000.

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Nirah 'seeks way forward' in Bedfordshire
11th August 2006

Aquarium board and county council get back to the table

A SECOND opinion is to be sought by the county council on the legality of it loaning £300,000 to help bring a freshwater science and visitor attraction to Stewartby.

Bedfordshire and the company behind the scheme ­ Nirah Holdings ­ fell out last month amid claims the county's offer of the money had been "deliberately framed" with unacceptable conditions.

But after a meeting between the sides yesterday, described as "constructive", all involved are publicly making optimistic noises again.

The Times & Citizen understands the county council is to seek a second expert legal opinion on whether it can provide the £300,000.

It was previously worried that lending the cash would risk it falling foul of European law on 'state aid', which limits how the public sector can invest in private enterprises.

The county was told by law firm Mills and Reeve it could front the money up, but with strings attached.

That issue is now set to be re-explored to find a means of keeping the Nirah scheme in Bedfordshire and away from Liverpool, where a rival bid to land the project has resurfaced.
A "clear way forward" is now hoped for by the middle of September.

Deputy leader of the county council, Coun Richard Stay, said: "I am optimistic now that we are sitting around the table and talking to each other again.

"The council has a will to make this happen, but the caveat is it has to be within the law."

Peter May, chairman of Nirah Holdings, added: "The meeting was helpful, and the position we are now in is encouraging. I hope we can make real progress over the coming weeks."

Nirah is being bankrolled in its early stages by a consortium of the county council and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

The county council has so far advanced £1 million to Nirah and EEDA has provided £2 million of an agreed £4 million loan.

But the consortium and Nirah Holdings fell out after the company requested more money beyond the initial £3 million to allow it to finish preparing a planning application for its earmarked site, the Quest Pit at Stewartby.

A deal was struck to raise £600,000, with Nirah to secure £300,000 privately and the balance to come from the county council.

When the county eventually put the money on the table after taking legal advice, Nirah angrily rejected it, claiming the offer was unacceptable.

Since then Nirah has raised around £19,000 from a public appeal in an effort to fill the hole.
It has also been in talks with the Liverpool Land Development Company, which wants to take the scheme to the North-West.

Mayor of Bedford, Frank Branston, who has pledged to match up £50,000 of appeal money with his own cash, said: "We moved forward a noticeable degree today and a number of issues have been clarified. The important thing is to maintain the momentum.

"Failure will not be forgiven by the people of Bedfordshire."

Mr Branston affirmed that his only financial commitment to Nirah is the £50,000

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Nirah puts out the begging bowl
14th July 2006

Aquarium bosses turn down county council loan and ask the public for £300,000

The public will now be asked to stump up £300,000 to bring the world's largest freshwater aquarium to Stewartby claypits, after a financial deal with County Hall collapsed.

On Thursday the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) turned down a conditional offer from Bedfordshire County Council for a final £300,000 loan for the company to complete its planning application.

Nirah claimed the council's deal was "deliberately designed" to fail.

The company has now vowed to raise the cash from public donations, beginning with a stall at Bedford River Festival this weekend.

The project would be a leisure destination, with three hotels, also including a scientific centre for research into endangered species of fish and amphibians.

Peter May, chairman of Nirah Holdings Ltd, said: "We have said it will take £600,000 to get this to planning.

"Half of that money was to come from the council and the rest would be matched by private investors.

"But on Wednesday morning we got the council's proposal, and it included ten conditions.
"That was not acceptable and we had to decline."

Mr May singled out the conditions which he said were unanimously rejected by the Nirah board.
They included a demand for an additional £500,000 contingency fund, in case the issue went to a public appeal, and full repayment of the council's original investment by 2007 ­ five years earlier than previously agreed.

The county council and the East of England Development Agency are the key players in the consortium which is working with Nirah in Bedfordshire.

So far, they have each invested £1.5million.

Bedford Borough Council, which has set aside just £5,000, and Mid Bedfordshire District Council are playing a lesser role.

Members of the public will now be asked to become 'founder members' for a minimum £50.
In return, they will get discount entry to the site for the first five years, plus a certificate and an engraved brick which would be used in a sculpture on the site.

Mr May said: "We had 400 people at a meeting arranged by Mayor Frank Branston about Nirah, and there were only four dissenters. And in two days, 250 people in Stewartby sent letters of support.

"Once we get past the planning stage I am confident we will get the rest of the money from private investors."

Coun John Scott, Cabinet member for economic growth at Bedfordshire County Council, said: "We are naturally disappointed with Nirah's decision to reject our offer of a loan.

"We understand they were unhappy with the conditions that were attached to it, but Nirah have to understand that this is taxpayers' money and there were important legal boundaries which we had to remain within. Launching a public appeal to keep Nirah going is an unusual approach, but we wish them luck and will be watching its progress with interest."

Mayor Frank Branston said: "If people don't want Bedfordshire to remain a backwater with nothing but landfill sites, they best act now ­ this is the last chance for us. It has also been suggested that I should put some money in the pot, and I am going to do just that."

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Aquarium project loan is rejected
13th July 2006

The project would be four times larger than the Eden Project

Developers behind plans to create one of the world's largest freshwater aquariums in Bedfordshire have rejected a loan to salvage the project.

Bedfordshire County Council agreed to loan another £300,000 to Nirah, which has already received £3m.

This was on the condition that the company changed its business plan.

The board of Nirah Holdings Ltd unanimously rejected what it described as "a red tape-bound offer" and appealed to the public for support.

The money is needed to finish work for an outline planning application.

Public appeal

The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) wants to build the development on the site of a former brick works at Stewartby.

The research complex and aquarium would be four times larger than the Eden Project in Cornwall.

City financier behind the Nirah project Peter May and Bedford Mayor Frank Branston launched a public appeal for the "Founders of Nirah" to raise £300,000.

Mr Branston said: "This is the last chance for us to bring this fantastic science, conservation and leisure project, complete with thousands of jobs and millions of pounds, to the area."

A Founders' Appeal marquee will be staged at the Bedford River Festival this weekend where hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend.

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Council agrees more aquarium cash
13th July 2006

A council has agreed to loan developers of one of the world's largest freshwater aquariums more public money to help get the scheme off the ground.

The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) wants to build the development in anold quarry at Stewartby, near Bedford.

Bedfordshire County Council agreed on Tuesday to loan another £300,000. Nirah has already received £3m in loans.

The loan is subject to conditions which Nirah will review on Wednesday.

Board response

A Nirah spokeswoman said a number of conditions on the loan, including changes to terms and conditions, are likely to make it impossible for Nirah to accept.

Nirah has already received £3m in loans to develop a business plan and seek planning permission.

The research complex and aquarium, would be four times larger than the Eden Project, in Cornwall. The 40-hectare complex in an old brickworks is the brainchild of an international team of biologists and conservationists.

The chairman of Nirah will be in Bedford on Thursday to announce the board's response to the council's "offer".

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Boss of crisis-hit Nirah scheme 'to quit'
30th June 2006

Project director says he will resign in emotional email

CRISIS-hit Nirah suffered a shuddering blow on Tuesday when its project director Ronnie Murning sensationally revealed he is about to quit in an emotional email.

Mr Murning wrote he had "had enough" after "we have despairingly plummeted to the depths we have on the project", which has stalled after a money row between the company fronting it and the consortium formed to fund its early stages.

His farewell to the troubled scheme will rob it of the brains which helped shape the successful Eden project in Cornwall, which the 55-year-old architect worked on as design and development director.

But it has also caused considerable embarrassment, as the email fired off to around 40 people made some uncomplimentary references to borough councillor Tony Hare, who has publicly disagreed with some aspects of the Nirah proposals. Mr Murning also speculated indelicately about certain aspects of Coun Hare's private life.

In addition, Mr Murning described another of the scheme's outspoken critics ­ Mid Beds MP Nadine Dorries ­ as "even worse".

Bizarrely, he then appears to have included Mrs Dorries among the email's recipients. The latest twist to the increasingly fraught Nirah saga came only a day after a highly successful public meeting held by its backers in Bedford.

A crowd of around 300 people turned up at the Corn Exchange and seemed overwhelmingly in favour of the £375 million concept for a freshwater aquarium and science centre at the Quest pit, Stewartby.

The meeting had been called to mobilise support for the project, which is faltering after running out of money to complete its planning application (see report below).

But whatever fresh impetus was gained seems to have been lost after Mr Murning's extraordinary outburst.

Peter May, chairman of Nirah Holdings, tried to limit the damage by issuing an apology on Wednesday morning, which said the company "unreservedly disassociates itself from the email and its contents". Mr Murning also apologised via email, and retracted his comments "regarding certain individuals".

That seems to have been enough for Mrs Dorries, who is understood not to be taking further action. However, Coun Hare has confirmed he is seeking legal advice over
possible defamation.

Whatever Mr Murning's fate, a Nirah spokesman insisted work to get a planning permission bid submitted in August would go on.

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County Hall feels the heat over Nirah
27th June 2006

Rally urges Bedfordshire County Council to stump up £300,000 and secure freshwater aquarium
Stewartby will become a "ghost village" with no major employment for residents if Nirah is not built nearby.

John Bojczuk, deputy headteacher at Marston Vale Middle School, delivered that chilling prophecy at a public meeting on Monday called to whip up public support for the freshwater aquarium and science centre scheme.

Its backers have earmarked the Quest pit as the site for the project, but its whole future has been called into jeopardy by a funding row between them and the county council.

Mr Bojczuk, also a Stewartby parish councillor, said the community would face a grim future once jobs in the brick production and landfill industries disappear, with "hardly anyone" likely to be employed locally by 2010.

He said: "Without Nirah, the claypit will be left for years, a cause for concern for the village. Will it become a landfill? Will it just be left as a hole? Who will manage it? Who will maintain it?"

He added: "Stewartby will become no more than a transit community, a shadow of itself, a ghost village, with lots of new houses but no work locally and no perks. If Bedfordshire County Council fails to secure the Nirah Project, then no major venture is likely to come to Bedfordshire in my lifetime - certainly not to use the claypits.

"Bedfordshire County Council, you are employed by us as the taxpayers of Bedfordshire, and at this point in time I don't believe you are performing as competently as you should be."

Monday's meeting in the Corn Exchange came with the future of Nirah (the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats) appearing to still hang in the balance.

The county council and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) formed a consortium to loan an initial £3 million to the company behind the scheme, Nirah Holdings Ltd, to allow it to put together a bid for planning permission and a business case.

A further loan of £1 million was agreed to keep the company going until it could raise its own finance from the City.

But the consortium and Nirah have rowed over the business plan, amid claims the consortium has demanded changes to it after employing outside consultants to examine the proposals.

The consultants' criticisms have never fully been revealed to Nirah and their report kept a closely-guarded secret, it is further claimed.

The two sides have also fallen out over money requested by Nirah beyond the initial £3 million to finish its planning application, after the work proved more expensive than expected.

Nirah has said it has kept its side of a bargain to raise £300,000 from the private sector.

But the consortium has refused to release "match funding" of a further £300,000 until it gets a legal grey area clarified.

It has said the greater emphasis now given by Nirah to leisure features, such as a "water adventure park", means there is a risk European laws on state aid to the private sector could be broken if it provides the cash.

Nirah Holdings stepped back from going into administration last week, giving the consortium until July 5 to come up with the money.

It was against this complex backdrop that Monday's meeting was called in an effort to put public pressure on the consortium, and so keep Nirah alive and in Bedfordshire.

Bedford and Kempston MP Patrick Hall said the project could make Bedfordshire "a place to visit and come to, rather than get out of" and create "a place of international importance".

He said: "Yes, it means leisure and related jobs. It also means science and conservation, it means research not just for the well-being of us, but for the planet as well. How many people are offered the opportunity to seriously contemplate all of that?"

Mr Hall added: "It's time to take a stand. I hope Bedfordshire County Council will listen to the people of Bedfordshire, people that are prepared to speak up in public because they live in this area which we share, and want Bedfordshire to have a brighter future and want Nirah to be part of it."

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Aquarium project decision delayed
22nd June 2006

A research complex planned for redundant land faces financial crisis

A group planning to build the largest freshwater aquarium in the world will decide next month whether to abandon the project or go into administration.

The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah) delayed the decision until July at the request of MPs Alistair Burt and Patrick Hall.

The directors met on Wednesday to find ways to deal with a shortage of money threatening the Bedfordshire project.

The two MPs asked for the delay as "developments" were under way.

"We are now aware developments are taking place including the public meeting," a Nirah spokeswoman said.

Money running out

"The directors of Nirah Holdings have agreed to meet again on Wednesday 5 July although, in the meantime, they will be monitoring developments closely and keeping the situation under review," she added.

Nirah has received £3m in loans to develop a business plan and seek planning permission.
Directors say they need £300,000 more or they will have to call in receivers because the money is running out.

The research complex and aquarium, four times larger than the Eden Project, was to be built at Stewartby, Bedfordshire.

The 40-hectare complex in an old brickworks is the brainchild of an international team of biologists and conservationists.

It would be designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, who was responsible for the Eden Project in Cornwall.

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Nirah needs you
22nd June 2006

Call for public to keep £375m scheme alive

A crucial decision on whether the county council can provide the cash to keep the Nirah project out of administration and in Bedfordshire is expected early next week.

Officers were understood to have begun talks with legal advisers last night on whether the authority can contribute towards £300,000 needed to keep alive the scheme for an aquatic visitor and science centre at Stewartby.

They are also believed to have been speaking to a private company yesterday as an alternative source of the all-important money.

Tim Malynn, environment director at County Hall, said the council needed to be sure it would not fall foul of European laws governing state help to the private sector before it agreed to hand over the funds.

He said: "We have agreed to get counsel's opinion on the legality of providing the loan, and we are also speaking to a third party to see if it can help with funding.

"The project continues to inspire and gives opportunities for economic growth and employment for the community of Bedfordshire, and not least Stewartby."

Nirah ­ the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats ­ is a £375 million scheme to bring a massive freshwater wildlife sanctuary, visitor attraction and research centre to Bedfordshire.

The Quest claypit at Stewartby has been lined up as the site, and the county council and the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) have formed a consortium to bankroll the early work on the blueprint to the tune of £3 million. A planning application was pencilled in for submission in August.

But the partners have fallen out over the business plan for the massive venture, and the issue of money needed over-and-above the £3 million to get it through the planning stage.

On Wednesday, the company behind the project ­ Nirah Holdings Ltd ­ met in London to consider walking away from Bedfordshire and going into administration.

Its directors decided instead to put off a decision after talks described by an insider as "arduous", and will meet again on July 5.

In the meantime they will be "monitoring developments closely" as the county council and EEDA ponder whether they can find the £300,000 requested by Nirah to match the £300,000 it has raised privately.

The issue for the county is whether finding the cash would break European rules on state aid to the private leisure sector.

The council's original legal advice is understood to have been that loaning money to Nirah would not mean it was risking a breach of the law. But since then, the emphasis of the Nirah plan has shifted from science and research as moneyspinners, to the need to attract paying customers as a visitor attraction.

It is that change of tack which seems to have made the county nervous ­ particularly when another high-profile tourist magnet is on the horizon, without a penny of public money at stake, namely Center Parcs at Warren Wood, near Ampthill.

Nevertheless, the authority has come under fire for obstructing the progress of Nirah.

Mayor of Bedford Frank Branston said the future of the scheme in Bedfordshire remained "absolutely on a knife edge", and has called a public meeting in the Corn Exchange on Monday night to mobilise public opinion.

He said: "The county council is still talking about getting legal advice. I don't know how long that will take, but I do know you won't get a clear-cut view.

"The only thing that can save the project now is the pressure of public opinion. Wherever I go, people are saying it is vital to Bedford and Bedfordshire, and they need to express this.

"Nirah is the most important project in Bedfordshire since the war. It could turn the area around, make people aware of where we are, and be an icon for Bedford and the county. If people want to see it happen they should come to the meeting and add their voices."

Mr Branston downplayed the chances of the borough council providing the vital £300,000, however. The borough is a member of the consortium, but has had "no formal involvement with the project" since its official unveiling, he explained.

Monday's meeting at the Bedford Corn Exchange begins at 7.30pm. Mr Branston, MP for Bedford and Kempston Patrick Hall, and a Nirah representative are expected. All are welcome.

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Protest held over aquarium plan
13th May 2006

Up to 75 campaigners brought traffic to a standstill as they marched through Bedford town centre in a protest over plans to build a freshwater aquarium.

The bio-domed research complex and aquarium, four times the size of the Eden Project, would be at Stewartby.

Bedford Animal Action said it opposes The National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats project on the grounds of animal cruelty.

The East of England Development Agency says it will boost the local economy.

Economic impact

The demonstration held on Saturday included members of the Green Party, the Captive Animals Protection Society and SPEAK.

Campaigners are also concerned that the project will damage the local environment.

The government has already given the go-ahead for the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) to provide loans for the £250m project.

The money would help the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (NIRAH) develop a business plan and seek planning permission.

Scientific research

The 40-hectare complex, in an old brickworks, is the brainchild of an international team of biologists and conservationists.

It would be designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, who was responsible for the Eden Project in Cornwall, and would be stocked with tropical trees and plants and populated by thousands of species of freshwater fish, amphibians and reptiles.

George Kieffer, deputy chair at the East of England Development Agency and one of the leaders on the Bedfordshire NIRAH Consortium, said the centre would generate new jobs and would have a significant impact on the economy of Bedfordshire and the East of England.

It is hoped the centre, funded by the revenue from scientific research and development as well as visitor income, would boost understanding of the Earth's freshwater system and the animals that rely on it.

If plans are approved the centre could be running by 2010.

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Nirah boss pledges: 'We'll raise the money'
09 March 2006

City will support £375m freshwater aquarium, he says

The financial brains behind plans to build the planet's largest freshwater aquarium at Stewartby said this week: "We will raise the money."

Peter May, chairman of Nirah Holdings Ltd, told the Times & Citizen he still expects the project to get enough backing from private investors, despite the budget increasing from £250 million to £375 million.

He said the huge sum, which will cover both construction costs and initial losses, will come from the City in 2009.

Mr May said: "We expect the bulk to come from City institutions. Our financial advisers have told us they believe the money will be forthcoming from them.

"The original figure for capital expenditure was £250 million, and this £375 million is capital expenditure and operating losses, because we will have to run Nirah before we can open it to visitors in 2011.

"We do believe Nirah will become a reality, and I wouldn't be involved if I didn't think that."

Scottish Mr May is a chartered accountant with a background in corporate finance and flotations.
He worked for Britoil for two years and has a "small share" in a company which advises clients on buy-outs, takeovers, acquisitions and disposals.

It might seem an unlikely background for someone involved in the conservation-driven Nirah project.

But he was keen to drive home the green credentials of Nirah and reject claims it will involve vivisection of animals in the name of research.

He said: "At the end of the day, the rationale for Nirah is freshwater, and the connection between freshwater and all life and human health.

"We are not involved in vivisection. The central part of our message is about conservation, and I think that will become better understood over time."

The apparently shifting emphasis of the project has also drawn criticism lately, after it emerged the reworked business plan for the scheme concentrates on the tourism and leisure aspects.
Plans for scientific research into the medical and pharmaceutical uses of animal venoms and secretions are played down.

Besides the 'biotopes', containing the animals and habitats, are gardens with a bandstand and amphitheatre, a living water spa, three hotels, a water park and conference and exhibition facilities.

Mr May said: "We want to get across science, conservation and education in a meaningful and enjoyable way. People are more likely to learn when they are relaxed.

"If people don't think they will enjoy themselves they won't come, and if people don't come it won't be a viable visitor attraction.

"We have remodelled it to make it more than an aquatic centre."

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Say No to NIRAH - National March and Rally
19th November 2005

The demonstration opposing the NIRAH project in Bedford on Saturday 19th November proved to be a huge success and an encouraging start to the national campaign. Approximately 150 to 200 protesters came from across the UK to oppose the project. Campaigners travelled from as far afield as Manchester and Wales to support the demonstration, with a coach also travelling from London to bring more supporters. The demonstration also attracted support from local people who will hopefully continue to support the campaign in the future.

The march through the town centre was a noisy and colourful affair, led by the now famous Frankie the fish and his newfound friend Fiona. The giant fishes provided a focal point to attract the attention of the public. The numerous banners and placards helped to raise awareness on the many reasons why this project should not go ahead. As well as the massive amount of cruelty that will be inflicted on the animals involved, the NIRAH project will also have a devastating effect on the local environment. The route of the march took in the main pedestrianised area of the town, which is always busy with shoppers on a Saturday afternoon. The march obviously had an impact on members of the public, many of whom took leaflets away with them.

Guest speakers before and after the march included Mel Broughton from the SPEAK campaign, Max Gastone and John Curtin. The Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) also supplied a statement opposing the project, which was read out by Justina Mclennan of Bedford Animal Action on their behalf.

Campaign updates, including future demo dates and contact details for people to write to, can be found here or at Bedford Animal Action (www.bedfordanimalaction.bravehost.com)

Many thanks to everyone who attended the demonstration or has supported the campaign in other ways.

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