New Eco Blocks are to be installed around Newlyn’s existing breakwater from the beginning of November
What’s it all about?
The Environment Agency will be installing new Eco Blocks around Newlyn‘s existing breakwater as part of the international Sustainable And Resilient Coastal Cities (SARCC) project.
Eco-blocks are coastal armour units which are also specially designed to provide habitats for marine life. The Environment Agency be installing a range of eco-block products from different suppliers at Newlyn, so they can monitor and compare them. The evidence they gather will help support their future use, enabling the Agency to reduce the carbon cost of new coastal structures whilst also creating new marine habitat – Newlyn is at the cutting edge of this new development!
Around 90 eco-blocks will be installed, each of around 1.3m3 in size. They will be positioned around the existing breakwater, no higher than the existing granite rocks.
Find out more about the Newlyn Coastal Research and Development Project.
Close to Newlyn Art Gallery will be a special display of artwork created by pupils from Newlyn School and Pensans School, on the theme of ‘Marine Life in Mounts Bay’. Do go along and have a look at the display!
When will the works start?
A construction site compound will be set up on the western part of Newlyn Green from Tuesday 1 November, with installation of the eco-blocks planned to start on Monday 7 November. The installation is expected to take around 10 weeks to complete (subject to weather conditions).
Will there be any disruption to traffic on New Road?
A section of the low wall between Newlyn Green and New Road will be removed to enable access for delivery trucks (appropriate permission has already been granted for this). Short-term temporary traffic lights will be used on New Road whilst work to remove and replace the wall is carried out.
Deliveries to the site compound on Newlyn Green will take place outside of peak traffic hours whenever possible and will be organised to minimise the number of trucks needing to access the site and drive through Newlyn.
What to expect during the installation
Works to install the eco-blocks will take place when tides are low for long enough to allow a working window. This will ensure safe access for the working teams to the breakwater and avoid disruption to the ecology of the Newlyn Coombe River. Tide timings mean that works will not be carried out every day, so throughout the construction phase the Agency will keep everyone updated about which days they plan to work with a notice board at the site compound and online at Newlyn coastal research and development project – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
There will be short (15 minute) closures of the South West Coast Path to allow access to the beach from Newlyn Green. All machinery and equipment will be removed from the beach at the end of each working window.
Access to Newlyn Art Gallery will remain open throughout the work.
Need more information?
The Environment Agency has provided an FAQs document to help answer many of the questions you may have about the project:
If you need any further information, please contact the project team:
Phone: 020847 47914 | Email: [email protected]