The new development includes pontoon moorings for berthing small vessels as well as a depuration facility on the quayside. This facility, the largest of its kind in the UK, will add significant value to mussels at their point of catch.

Dawson WAM commenced operations on site in October 2004 and finalised in the spring of 2006. To carry out the marine works, Dawson WAM began by installing a temporary rock bund across the harbour which allowed them to gain dry access for the piling operations.

Using a 22m Leader piling rig, 65 tubular steel piles of 660mm diameter and 17m long were installed along the length of the 140m dockside. They were socketed into the bedrock to a depth of 1.5m and restrained with ground anchors above a mid-tide waling slab. The open piled construction between the waling and quay slabs was designed to retain a clear view of the original masonry dock wall behind, which dates from the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

A new quay was constructed using 7.5m long x 1.5 m wide x 1m deep pre-cast, reinforced, concrete panels, cast on site and craned into position from the temporary access bund. The top deck was finished with 300mm cast in situ concrete. Timber greenheart fenders completed the quayside installation.

Restraint for the floating pontoon area, which also incorporates wave attenuation units, is provided by 8 tubular steel piles socketed 3m into the bedrock. These were installed using a large jack-up platform in the harbour.

A new access quay was constructed to the rear of these moorings and in front of the Town Square. Its frontage is retained by reinforced concrete wall panel sections, precast on site. At its base is rock armour protection, while the coping is by concrete beam which forms a kerb to the wide concrete block paved deck.

The harbour has been secured along its public sides by a fine traditional railing above a low wall, which makes it visually appealing from the Town Square viewpoint.

Additional works to the new harbour included significant strengthening of the original Kelly's Coal Quay, which forms the third side of the dock. Its reinforced concrete deck was extended 2m outwards above a new waling slab and a new rock-anchored, sheet-piled wall was installed in front of the existing 50 year old sheet-piled wall.

MJ Information No: 21801