Dredger to begin £1m beach replenishment at Pevensey Bay in the UK

The dredger Sospan Dau is set to begin its annual exercise of replenishing the area's shingle defences in a project worth £1 million ($1.3 million) this September. The work is part of the broader Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne coastal management scheme, managed by the UK’s Environment Agency.

The trailing suction dredger will transport approximately 30,000 tonnes of shingle, dredged from offshore near Littlehampton, and spray it onto the shoreline near Sovereign Harbour.

The work, which is expected to take two to three weeks, is timed to coincide with high tides and plays a "critical role" in protecting more than 3,000 homes and businesses across the region, according to the agency.

Paul Levitt, Environment Agency beach manager at Pevensey Bay, stated that the annual shingle replenishment is essential for maintaining the flood defences that protect coastal communities and ensures the beach is in the best possible condition to withstand winter storms.

Other related beach maintenance works will also take place throughout the month.

From September 15, two bulldozers will begin reprofiling the shingle, and from September 22, the agency will start recycling shingle, moving it to areas where it is most needed to bolster defences.