Environment Agency and Babtie Brown & Root: Littlestone Sea Defences

85.1%

The scheme was promoted by the Environment Agency with funding from DEFRA. Design and supervision of the works was carried out by Babtie Brown & Root, under their framework contract with the Agency. The outline and detail design works were fast tracked and completed in only 14 months including planning consent and public consultation allowing construction started in June 2002. Due to the scale of the scheme the works were split in two phases, the first phase works consisting of the rock works and the delivery of 82,000m3 of shingle. Phase two was for the delivery of the remaining 158,000m3.

Construction was carried out by Westminster Dredging /Van Oord ACZ Joint Venture. The Phase 1 shingle delivery was carried out using the 'Volvox Scaldia' dredger which discharged onto the beach via a 450m floating pipeline. During the Phase 2 works the 'Volvox Scaldia' was joined by the 'Sospan Dau' dredger which delivered onto the beach via a method known as rainbowing, this is where a jet of shingle is pumped onto the beach and placed at low water by bulldozer.

A third Phase is planed for 2004 to raise the existing concrete sea defences to a consistent level.

The scheme has been constructed to time and below target cost.