Bob King (Drake's Island Project Coordinator)
Bob has been the project coordinator since April 2017 and after getting himself up to speed with the myriad of documents pertaining to the regeneration of the Island, his role now concentrates on developing and implementing planning on the Island, coordinating access for consultants and contractors, researching the history and hosting visits.
Bob was a Warrant Officer Class 1 and served for 22 years as a Royal Engineer in the British Army. He led major tasks on operations in Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Northern Ireland and was responsible for significant peacetime activities. Since leaving the Army in 2005 he has been involved in running marine and terrestrial conservation projects abroad in Asia and the Caribbean for the award-winning NGO Coral Cay Conservation. During this time, Bob has worked with national and local government departments, non-governmental organisations and local community groups.
Currently the Island has conditional planning permission which requires over 20 pre commencement obligations to be met prior to starting work. The Island sits within the Plymouth Sound SAC and adjacent to the Tamar Estuary Complex SPA. The trip will focus on the engineering challenges on the Island to conform to the planning conditions within its unique location but will also reflect on the history of the Island.