Ryde Harbour dredging starts next week

A project to dredge Ryde Harbour will get underway later this month, the Isle of Wight Council said.

Fifteen-hundred cubic metres of sand will be removed from within the harbour by local contractors Reynolds and Read.

The work will be carried out over three phases, starting from Monday, 20 September.

According to their official statement, the Council agreed to do the work before ownership of the harbour is transferred to Ryde Town Council.

Councillor Phil Jordan, Cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said: “Ryde Town Council has a business case to invest substantially in the harbour over the next three years and to improve the services and harbour offer to berth holders and visitors alike.”

“Dredging to improve accessibility within the harbour is vital to these plans.”

Under the project, the sand will be removed using an excavator and deposited within a compound nearby before being transported to a land based disposal site.