Guernsey’s Coastal Defences Slated for Assessment Ahead of Repair Budget Allocation

Coastal protection systems throughout Guernsey are scheduled for inspection as part of an initiative to earmark funds for necessary repair work. The States announced that the state of coastal infrastructure, encompassing concrete defence walls, steel pilings, and slipways, is set to be evaluated starting next week. This evaluation will involve extracting core samples from concrete to identify any internal voids, alongside measuring the thickness of existing steel sheet piles. These coastal fortifications serve to safeguard land-based infrastructure, including roads, utilities, and private property, from inundation by the sea. Marco Tersigni, an infrastructure officer, stated that this undertaking is crucial for facilitating the proper distribution of financial resources. He commented, “As part of our proactive works to support, preserve and maintain our coastal infrastructure, it’s important to make sure that we are planning our works based on up to date condition reports of our coastal defences and features.” He further added, “With budgets necessarily constrained and expenditure needing to be targeted carefully, it’s important to carry out thorough investigations to understand exactly what remedial works might be necessary in the near future or in the longer-term.” The States indicated that the on-site examinations will commence at Imperial slipway on 18 November and are expected to conclude at Pembroke around the Christmas period. Enhancements to Guernsey’s flood defence systems have been designated an “immediate priority” by the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure. Readers are invited to follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook, and to submit story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for material found on external websites. Further information regarding our policy on external links is available.