Mackley is currently carrying out a programme of beach replenishment works on Hayling Island in Hampshire, as part of a wider scheme to protect the area from flooding.
The South Hayling Beach Management Plan provides flood risk management to protect approximately 1,500 homes in the south of Hayling Island. Works have been ongoing annually since the 1980s – through a combination of beach recycling and beach recharging.
Mackley has been contracted by the East Solent Coastal Partnership (ESCP) and Havant Borough Council to recharge the beach at Eastoke – which involves the excavation of more than 20,000T of shingle.
During the summer of 2017, the ESCP obtained new permissions which have enabled them to extend the boundaries of its flood prevention work area. The new permissions also impose restrictions on how work can be carried out in the area due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the site, including vegetated shingle and high tide roost sites for birds.
The gravel is being taken from areas of low flood risk (typically to the west of Hayling) where the beach naturally accretes, and transported to Eastoke where a significant beach crest is required to manage flood risk.
In order to transport the material to Eastoke, the Mackley project team first had to create and clearly demark a 6km haul route, using a combination of cones and various signs along the route.
12 access points were also created to provide the public safe access to the beach throughout the works, and the route is supervised on a daily basis by four Mackley traffic marshals.
Mackley also engaged successfully with local landowners to gain access for the haul route where it traversed their land.
With the haul route complete, a 45T excavator tracked 1km to the extraction area at Gunners Point, and work began to excavate more than 20,000T of shingle. Dumpers are also being used to help complete the recharge.
Once complete, the shingle will be levelled to width requirements (of no more than 10m) using a Dozer.
17 October 2017
