ABPmer Commissioned to Undertake Dredging Field Studies at Fleetwood

Standing alongside the ports industry, in discussions with the Department for Transport, DEFRA and English Nature, the ports and marinas groups hopes to determine what it calls a ‘suitable, practical and proportionate approach to managing and administering maintenance dredging in England, ‘ whilst ensuring that the competent authorities ‘correctly fulfil their obligations under the Habitats Directive, ‘ which, says the BMF, ‘is no easy task given the wording of the Directive and how it is being interpreted in the UK.’

Previous reports and site investigations undertaken by ABPmer, suggested that the most likely beneficial solutions to the maintenance dredging commitment would result from possible changes to the dredging practice at Fleetwood with potential cost savings and reduced dredger occupancy of the berth.

In order to achieve this, field trials and detailed measurements of local flow patterns and sediment dynamics are required to supplement the current understanding of the estuary system in the proximity of the berths. The data will also be useful for detailed local area modelling to determine the long-term viability, cost benefits of any proposed changes to the current dredging regime.