The Environment Agency is getting ready to start work this week on £1 million worth of coastal flood defence work at Pevensey Bay - residents and visitors to Pevensey Bay will witness a spectacular sight during September as the Sospan Dau dredging vessel returns to spray shingle onto the shoreline.

Shingle will be sprayed from the specialist vessel onto the shoreline at high tides over several weeks when it returns to Pevensey Bay on Sunday 7 September to begin its annual exercise of replenishing Pevensey Bay’s shingle defences over the course of several high tides.

The specialist ship will transport approximately 30,000 tonnes of shingle, dredged offshore near Littlehampton, and create a rainbow-like arc as it is sprayed onto the shoreline near Sovereign Harbour.

The work is timed to coincide with high tides over several weeks and plays a critical role in protecting more than 3,000 homes and businesses across Sovereign Harbour, Pevensey Bay, and Normans Bay. Once deposited, the shingle will be naturally redistributed along the coast through the process of longshore drift.

The shingle beach at Pevensey Bay is a vital flood defence, absorbing wave energy and reducing the impact of storm surges. Its importance is heightened during the winter months, when high tides and storms combine to create hazardous conditions. Natural coastal processes continually move shingle along the shoreline, making regular replenishment essential to maintain effective protection.

Nick Gray, flood and coastal risk manager for the Environment Agency in Sussex, said sea levels are projected to rise by more than one metre in southern England over this century, and with more frequent powerful storms also predicted, the risk of increased coastal erosion and flooding is likely.

Paul Levitt, Environment Agency beach manager at Pevensey Bay, commented:

“This annual shingle replenishment is essential for maintaining the flood defences that protect our coastal communities.

“By carrying out this work in September, we’re ensuring the beach is in the best possible condition to withstand winter storms and high tides.”

Early preparation key to keeping communities safe

The work forms part of the broader Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme, one of the largest coastal flood risk projects in the country.

The Environment Agency and its partners are delivering the Scheme, which aims to safeguard up to 18,000 properties from coastal flooding and erosion over the next 100 years.

The short-term phase, launched in June, focuses on managing the 8.5km Pevensey Bay frontage, providing vital protection to over 3,000 homes and businesses.

Contractor VolkerStevin is leading beach operations, including the movement of thousands of tonnes of shingle along the Sussex coast.

Built in 1978, the Sospan Dau is a trailing suction dredger ideal for shallow waters like Pevensey. It will extract sediment from Owers Bank—about 6 miles south of Littlehampton—and deliver up to 820sq m of shingle each high tide directly to the beach east of Sovereign Harbour (about the same as 5-and-a-half double decker buses). The full delivery is expected to take two to three weeks, depending on sea conditions.