Shoreham port – forever managing shingle transfers

A healthy beach is a natural absorber of wave energy, vital for preventing coastal erosion and flooding of land behind the sea. While the shingle that makes up the beaches along the UK south coast around Shoreham is a highly efficient absorber of wave energy, it is also susceptible to littoral drift. With the general direction of the waves being from the south west, over time the shingle stacks up against the western harbour arm at Shoreham, a phenomenon that is repeated around 9km to the east of Shoreham at Brighton Marina.

It is a requirement in these situations for the shingle to be periodically moved back along the coast to maintain the continuity of the overall beach, and of course prevent the build-up affecting the harbour’s operation. Shoreham Port states that to achieve this around 16,000 m3 of shingle would have to be moved westwards from Brighton Marina to the east side of Shoreham Harbour and the same amount westwards from the western harbour arm back towards Worthing. The Port only has the power however to move the shingle from their short length of coast on the west side of the harbour entrance to the east side. While this helps prevent a build-up of beach immediately west of the harbour, it does nothing to prevent big accumulations at Brighton Marina and of course does not re-distribute the shingle over the larger area, something that could in time reduce the natural flood defence effect of an even and distributed beach over a greater length of coastline.

Shoreham Port is now working closely with Brighton & Hove City Council, Adur & Worthing Council and the Environment Agency to address the concerns that affect several authorities. For the last two years, shingle has therefore been transferred westwards from Brighton Marina to the harbour entrance while Shoreham port works towards a similar scheme for the west side of the entrance.