UK: DIO, Environment Agency Repair Sea Defences at Hythe

Over the Christmas and New Year break, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) staff from the Cinque Ports Training Area (CPTA) in Kent battled the high tides and gale-force winds that threatened the sea defences at both Lydd and Hythe ranges.

DIO surveyors alerted the Environment Agency to flooding danger posed by a breach in sea defences at Hythe.

This allowed the agency to repair the damage and head off the flood threat to local residents and the Grand Redoubt at Dymchurch.

Tom Dauben from the Environment Agency said:

“Working around the clock with DIO and our contractors enabled us to stabilise the breach and repair the damage.

The quick response of all parties ensured that the breach did not deteriorate further and cause flooding to properties or infrastructure.

The work has now been completed, leaving the Grand Redoubt safe once more.”

Richard Goslett, DIO’s rural estate surveyor at CPTA, said:

“When the storms began at Christmas we monitored the situation closely and alerted the Environment Agency, who carried out emergency repair works on the sea defences at the redoubt.”

“The completion of the repairs has taken longer than expected because the horrendous weather conditions meant that the contractors were only able to work at low tide. They also had to use quick-drying concrete to fill in the holes in the sea defences before the next high tide.”

At Hythe Ranges, the heavy seas were so severe that they badly eroded the sea defences in front of the Grand Redoubt.

A small hole in the protective sea wall before Christmas quickly grew to the size of a volleyball court by the New Year, threatening to flood the ranges and low-lying parts of Dymchurch and Hythe.

Mackley Construction, on behalf of the Environment Agency, began work to repair the sea defences in the middle of January.

The work was expected to last 2 weeks, but the continuing bad weather and high tides meant that the work was delayed.

Work on the scheme was completed on 14 February 2014.

[mappress]

Press Release, March 20, 2014