Following the arrival of Oceandiva into London, Smart Group has announced the postponement of its public consultation and calendar of scheduled events.
The consultation, originally planned for 9-10 June, intended to gather feedback from riverside communities, local groups and authorities. Smart Group said it would then be able to make changes before any plans are finalised.
The consultation will now take place virtually on 26 June, according to a newsletter sent to residents. According to Smart Group, dates for in-person, onboard public consultation events will be revealed in due course.
Commenting on the news, Greg Lawson, CEO of Smart Group, told Conference News: “The consultation was delayed because of the shipyard, which is located in the Netherlands, Lemmer. They were nearly 10 months late in delivery, which has held us back hugely and we’ve had to withdraw our licensing applications.
“We want to be able to show her [Oceandiva] to the authorities, to the residents, and to be able to test her ourselves before fully opening. That’s why we’ve held it back as long as we have.”
Until the vessel is in its “completed state”, and its permanent licence to operate is granted, Oceandiva will be operating on a TENS (Temporary Events Notice) licence, which allows the vessel to serve alcohol for up to 450 people.
This delay has also led to event cancellations. He said: “I’ve personally cancelled many, many, bookings, purely from the point of view that we just couldn’t get the vessel here in time.
“We’ve hoped that people will be understanding of the fact that many potential venues take time to open up. These things happen. Broadly speaking, the clients that we have had to cancel on have been very understanding.” Lawson revealed that approximately 30% of events have been rescheduled.
Lawson said that Oceandiva will be hosting events that are “possible” in the meantime. The venue will welcome an evening reception and 50th anniversary event this month [June].
Community impact
Since its arrival in London, there has also been concerns from the local community – due to its size and purpose.
As first reported by ITV News, 1,000 individuals have requested Newham Council to deny Oceandiva’s licence.
Local resident and member of the Shad Thames Residents Association, Paul Crosbie, said: “This is the third time the Oceandiva has been forced to delay scrutiny of its plans. Major questions are being asked about the size of the boat, how it will operate, how passengers will embark and disembark onto narrow Dickensian streets in the early hours of the morning and whether it is the right vessel for such a historic river as the Thames.
“The river is there to be enjoyed by all, not just the lucky residents who live on its banks but also the millions who visit every year. No one is trying to prevent new initiatives that will boost the London economy, but they have to be proportionate and there is a real fear that the Oceandiva will serve only a privileged few to the detriment of others.”
Lawson said: “I think there’s been a lack of understanding for exactly what it is. The way it is being perceived by local people is that it’s very much ‘a party boat’. It’s not, it’s absolutely a venue. More than anything else, it will be a conference and product launch venue.
“I’m sure that when people see her and understand the sorts of events that she can do, they’ll see that she’s a really exciting opening for London.”
Update, 7 June, 15:58
Oceandiva contacted Conference News with an official statement on the proposed launch:
“We are delighted to have welcomed Oceandiva London, the UK’s first CO2-neutral event venue on the river Thames into the city. The vessel is currently berthed at Royal Docks where it is completing a superior fit-out and programme of testing, as well as a public exhibition programme working closely with local residents and stakeholders.
“As part of this programme, we will be hosting a series of test events under pre-approved TENs licences which allow for the sale of alcohol up to 450 people. Excitingly, the first commercial event will be taking place on 30th June in which we will demonstrate how efficiently the vessel will run, showcasing its state-of-the-art, quality-led design and unprecedented levels of technology.”
