Working in behalf of Rother District Council, Fairlight Parish Council and the Environment Agency, Mackley has commenced work on a scheme to provide protection from coastal erosion to the village of Fairlight in East Sussex.
Fairlight residents have been campaigning for many years for a third scheme to plug a gap between two rock berms constructed in earlier works. They have argued that the gap between the two previous rock defences has quickened erosion in that area.
In August 2013 their plight was highlighted in a BBC News feature titled ’Fairlight village: losing the battle against the sea’.
The latest scheme, for which Mackley is principal contractor, comprises the construction of a third rock berm which will help protect the cliffs in Fairlight Cove from further erosion.
Mackley is working in partnership with designers and engineers from Canterbury City Council Engineering Services, through the East Kent Engineering Partnership.
Funding for the project has been provided through the Environment Agency’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) as well as the Fairlight Preservation Trust and Fairlight Parish Council.
Virtually all deliveries to site will be made from the sea and will not be brought through Fairlight village, in order to minimise disruption and inconvenience for local residents.
22,500 tonnes of Larvik granite rocks from Norway will be delivered by sea to complete the construction of the 270m rock berm. Rock deliveries commenced in mid-August and works will continue for approximately 12 weeks.
Andy Martin, Mackley’s Contracts Manager for the scheme, said: “Delivery of rock by sea can only take place at high tide, and as such is taking place at any time of the day or night including Sundays, according to the state of the tide.
“Conversely, construction of the rock berm can only take place at low tide and in order to make progress as quickly as possible we are working early in the morning and in the evening, to maintain momentum and complete the project before the weather deteriorates with the onset of autumn.”
02 September 2016
