Latest Works

Beach Reprofiling - winter works

26th September 2022

Reprofiling is due to start on Monday 26th September.

Beach Recycling - Duration 3-4 weeks

17th January 2022

Machines started work at Cooden last week and from Wednesday 26th January will commence a long-haul recycle from Herbrand Walk to Sovereign Harbour with seven dumpers running in convoy.  After this it is expected that they to reduce in number but continue to repair any areas of narrowed beach crest between Beachlands and White Horses.

Beach Recycling - estimated 2-3 weeks

15th October 2021

Recycling is due to start on Monday 18th October. Initially work will be at Sovereign Harbour Northeast beach and 'White Horses'. Most of the shingle delivered from Langney was left temporarily near the Martello tower because it needs to be placed on the toe rocks of the revetment near Macquarie Quay. It will be much quicker and less disruptive to residents if we do this next week using dumpers running below the beach crest than if it had been tipped on the beach and then pushed down with a bulldozer. So at the beginning of the week machines will work between PBSC and 'White Horses' over the top of the tide and then move to fill the revetment as the tide recedes. For the remainder of the week they will gradually head east bolstering any depleted areas as they go. Eventually, and assuming further periods of settled weather, we intend to return some of the surplus shingle at Cooden all the way to the harbour, but as this can only be done if the crest remains complete we will be dependent on what the weather does in the coming weeks.

Harbour Bypassing - 1 week

11th October 2021

The operational window for moving shingle from Langney beach to Sovereign Harbour North has now opened so a first week of work starts today. Work will be from 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, although most days lorries will stop running by 16:30.

Work finishes for Winter 2020-21

30th April 2021

The final bulldozer left the beach today, and hopefully will not have to return until autumn. .

Beach Recycling - estimated 2-3 weeks

22nd March 2021

Although two bulldozers have been working since storms 10 days ago, they will be unable to fully restore the beach before the 8.0mCD tides due early next week. Therefore a small recycling team restarts work today, at Normans Bay East today, before moving to Cooden tomorrow. Thereafter they will work east to west through to Sovereign Harbour. Whilst the weather may seem to be set fair for spring at the moment, we have had plenty of occasions in the last 20 years, where March – or even April – has delivered one final storm. From thinking work was complete for another winter, we have been faced with several weeks more before the beach can be left in peace for the summer. Hopefully 2021 won’t be one of those years, and all works can be considered complete in the next couple of weeks. .

Harbour Bypassing - 1 weeks

4th March 2021

The operational window for moving shingle from Langney beach to Sovereign Harbour North closes at the end of March until autumn, so a final week of work is scheduled to start on Monday 8th March. Work will be from 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, although most days lorries will stop running by 16:30.

It has been an unusual winter in that for six months in a row (August to January) the East Sussex coast saw Storm Force 10 conditions at least once every month. Luckily the worst conditions coincided neither with spring tides nor with high water, so crest erosion was much less than it could have been. Shingle lower down the beach continued to be moved east, however, hence why recycling in January overran the projected two weeks and did not finish until late February. Further recycling will be required, but this will not start until after bypassing has been completed.

Beach Recycling - estimated 2 weeks

18th January 2021

Although none of the December and early January gales occurred over spring tides, there has been erosion to the front of crest in some places. So, with a couple of windy days to come (Wednesday and Thursday this week) we have started recycling today from Cooden towards Herbrand Walk. How much shingle is moved and from where/to will depend on the severity of the weather later in the week, although – again – it does coincide with low rather than higher water level tides. In general I expect there to be general east to west movement of machines over the next two weeks or so.

Harbour Bypassing - 2 weeks

25th November 2020

As a result of the storms 10 days ago, shingle has now built up against Sovereign Harbour’s southern breakwater such that it now needs to be moved before it is pushed into the marina entrance. Road lorries will start moving shingle round to the north side of the harbour on Monday 30th November. Work will be from 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, although most days lorries will stop running by 16:30. Lorries are expected to be operating for two weeks.

In the meantime beach repairs in the main bay area are continuing, the focus of works now down at Cooden from where shingle will be moved to Herbrand Walk, East Stream and the west end of Normans Bay East.

Beach Recycling - Duration 2-3 weeks

1st October 2020

Every month this summer had at least one gale, so as a result there is shingle to be moved in many places along the frontage.  Normally at the start of October the first work phase involves bypassing shingle round Sovereign Harbour.  However, several periods of easterly winds have driven shingle away from the southern breakwater and built it up against the final Eastbourne groyne where there is no beach access.  Instead we will have to wait until southwesterly conditions reimpose themselves before we attempt to extract this material.  Instead, we recycle shingle from Cooden and Normans Bay back along the frontage to Herbrand Walk, Normans Bay East and Beachlands.  After that sediment from near the Environment Agency depot and elsewhere in the village will be moved to Old Martello Road.  Of course, any storms that occur in the meantime could necessitate a change of plans.  That we already have a named storm for winter 2020-21 (Storm Alex, named by the French Met Office) perhaps does not bode well for the rest of the season.

Annual Beach Replenishment - 2-3 weeks

28th August 2020

Dredger Sospan Dau is due back within the next few days to start beach replenishment works on the north side of Sovereign Harbour. As usual sediment will be dredged from the seabed in the Owers Bank licensed dredging area, approximately 5 miles offshore from Littlehampton. Sediment will be delivered to the beach twice daily, with each discharge period expected to last just over an hour and each one starting around 1 hour before high water. As usual no dry plant will be used on the beach, the shingle being left to be distributed by wave action alone. All deliveries are expected to be made within 200m of the marina’s northern breakwater. The target delivery volume is 20,000 cu.m, so with an average load likely to be 800 cu.m this should take 25 or so tides. With no delays this equates to two weeks.

Beach Recycling - Duration 2-3 weeks

20th January 2020

Storm Brendan and the subsequent storm have eroded the beach crest, so recycling works restarted on Monday 20 January. Initially the crest was too narrow in places to allow dump trucks full access, so for the first week this was reinstated. Initially there will just be two trucks, although as the haul road becomes fully repaired this is likely to increase to four. It is expected that this phase of works will take 2-3 weeks to complete.

Harbour Bypassing - 1-2 weeks

16th December 2019

Recycling was stopped until the New Year on 13th December. Machines that finished were parked in the Environment Agency depot so were ready should the strong winds return over Christmas. From Monday 16th road lorries bypassed shingle round Sovereign Harbour for five days. This was the final phase of beach works before Christmas.

Beach Recycling - Duration 2 weeks

14th November 2019

The storm two weeks ago arrived just after completion of the last recycle and, fortunately, a couple of days after the 8.0mCD tides had receded. Nevertheless, the beach was drawn down in many places and now requires another phase of recycling. Last time the focus was in the east, so, initially at least, works starting on Monday 18th will look to replenish Sovereign Harbour. Shingle will be taken from the area between Pevensey outfall and The Kiosk, with just material in the ridge part way up the beach being used. It is likely that this will continue all next week. The following week, machines are expected to move east to Beachlands, Normans Bay and Herbrand Walk so that all areas are reinforced as the next series of spring tides arrive that week .

Beach Recycling - Duration 1 week

25th October 2019

The last of the 8.0m tides for this year are with us this weekend and into early next week. Apart from a windy night tonight, it looks like most of the biggest tides will be accompanied by north to easterly winds, thus posing little threat to the defences. Nevertheless a week of recycling is planned, primarily from Cooden, moving shingle to Normans Bay and Beachlands. This will start on Monday 28th and finish on Friday 1st November. These works are being managed by Shaun Cooper (Mackley)on 07968 799743 and Jack Barwick (Ovenden)on 07788 311006.

Harbour Bypassing - 1-2 weeks

2nd October 2019

High tides and gales in the early part of this week have resulted in a significant build-up of shingle on the south side of Sovereign Harbour. This needs to be removed from the beach, and bypassed to the north side of the marina, before it is lost into the harbour’s approach channel. Work will start to move this material on Monday 7th October, between 07:30 and 17:30, and is expected to go through the first week and perhaps into two or three days of the second week.

Beach Recycling to restart

September 2019

The highest tides of the year are expected in the next few days, and although big waves are not predicted, there will be sufficient wave activity to result in some beach erosion. As a result, machines are arriving in time to start the first maintenance works of the autumn on Monday 30 September. The length of the works will be dependent on the weather over the next few days.

Annual Beach Recharge

July 2019

In late June it was likely that Sospan Dau would be completing this year's beach recharge in late July.  However, a problem with her dredge pump has meant a trip to dry dock in the Netherlands for emergency repairs.  Recharge works are now not expected before early autumn..

Work finishes for Winter 2018-19

May 2019

The final bulldozer left the beach today, and hopefully will not have to return until autumn. As usual additional supplies of shingle are required at Sovereign Harbour to replace sediment lost during the winter. News as to when this is expected to happen will be provided during the summer.