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Durlston is a place of outstanding
cultural and natural heritage which has been enjoyed by millions of visitors since a Country Park was established here, over
30 years ago by Dorset County Council. During that time the Park has achieved a number of notable successes in areas such as interpretation,
wildlife management, community involvement and education. However, resources for development have generally been limited and,
as a result, Durlston’s huge potential has not yet been fully realised. The acquisition
of the Durlston Castle lease in 2003 and the designation of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in 2001 - of
which Durlston is a key section - presented an outstanding opportunity to develop the site in new and exciting directions.
In 2004 Martin Cooke undertook the role
of Project Manager for this major and exciting project. Working with an extensive project team, including the architect MJ
Long, the project outline developed with a £3.23m bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund being submitted in April 2006
as part of a £5.8m project. The decision on this stage one application was made in mid December 2006 with the full
grant earmarked and development funding for stage 2 being made available. The project has also received extensive
support from a range of partners including the South West Regional Development Agency, The Jurassic Coast Trust and the Fine
Family Foundation.
Achievements
linked to the project that Martin Cooke has been responsible for include: § Set-up and opened The Lookout café,
focusing on Fairtrade produce and local suppliers §
The Lookout café gained a Gold award in the Taste of the West Food and Drink Awards 2006 § Initiated and co-wrote first Durlston
Management Plan for period 2005–2010 §
Submitted Durlston’s successful bid for the Green Flag Award § Project managed a number of new initiatives e.g.
on-site buggy, shuttle bus from Swanage, exhibitions and arts projects, Durlston ‘Dawn to Dusk’
open day
H&L have provided project development
services for the successful 12 month stage two development phase of the project. With the match funding in place the physical
implementation of the Durlston Project commenced on site in April 2010 with main contractor Greendale Construction, works
are planned to be completed and the Castle open in summer 2011.
Martin Cooke has been appointed by Dorset County Council to provide Project
Management consultancy services for the implementation of the project.
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