Dorset scheme to take up to six weeks

Mackley has been appointed to carry out coastal maintenance works in the Dorset town of Christchurch.

Working on behalf of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, the project is scheduled to take up to six weeks to complete and involves:

• beach recycling in four groyne bays between Avon and Friars Cliff beaches and Highcliffe beach;
• rock groyne reshaping and groyne beacon post repairs across all beaches from Mudeford Sandbank and Avon beach to Highcliffe, where required;
• reinforcing Steamer Point path with additional rock armour.

Mackley arrived on-site to set up compound areas on 4 May. The project team will work with the most suitable tide levels – meaning work could take place at any time of the day, night or at weekends.

It is estimated that this maintenance work will take up to six weeks, three weeks on the Highcliffe to Avon Beach areas and three weeks at Mudeford Sandbank.

Matt Hosey, Head of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management, BCP Council, said: “Our monitoring programme shows that beach levels across Christchurch have generally remained healthy since 2003.”

“Part of the works involve topping-up depleted beach areas by recycling and re-distributing local material, as well as realigning and re-shaping a number of rock groynes. The beach and groynes work together to protect the seawall and areas behind it from erosion by the sea.”