£1.7m awarded for first phase of Bray coastal protection plan

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, has awarded a £1.7 million contract for the first phase of a coastal protection scheme for Bray, Co Wicklow.

The scheme, which has been the subject of local opposition by Bray Beachwatch, involves the construction of a breakwater and groyne between the harbour wall and the aquarium on the sea front.

Phase two involves the extraction of 250,000 cubic metres of shingle from the Codling Bank, and placing it on the existing beach inside the breakwater.

The purpose of the scheme is to protect the town's Victorian promenade which has been undermined and, according to the urban council, could be breached in a winter storm.

During the past two years the Department of the Marine has commissioned consultants to examine seven alternative protection schemes, one of them submitted by the Beachwatch committee. After reviewing the consultants' report, the urban council opted for the Department of Marine's initial scheme. However, the decision has angered the Beachwatch campaign, which held a public meeting on Wednesday to renew its opposition to the plan.

A spokesman for Beachwatch, Mr Pat Darcy, told The Irish Times everyone accepted that protection work on the promenade was necessary.

However, he maintained that the present scheme will deprive locals of the beach amenity. "The shingle will not be washed, it will contain crabs and other forms of marine life and it will rot and fester. It will stretch in parts for 150 feet beyond the existing wall and there will be a steep gradient of one in seven where people used to fish, picnic and run skiff races. We have no doubt that it will destroy the ethos of Bray as a seaside resort and our amenity will be lost forever."

Awarding the contract for phase one to Ascon, however, Dr Woods said the coastal protection scheme would "preserve the valuable and historic amenity" of the promenade for the people of Bray and visitors to the sea front.

Dr Woods added that the award of the tender would allow work on phase one of the scheme to start next month. Commenting on the selection of Ascon, he said the company has considerable experience in working in marine sites, having provided a marine-based rock revetment on Whiddy Island and built the ferry terminal at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

To minimise disruption in Bray and along the sea front during construction - which is expected to last three months - the rock armour material for the breakwater is to be brought on site by sea, rather than by road. "This will significantly reduce the level of disruption to traffic and to pedestrians and consequently to local business and recreational activity," he added.