Aggregate Industries has delivered tonnes of material for coastal defence works in Somerset.
The construction materials supplier transported 13,500 tonnes of three to six-tonne Armour stone and 4,500 tonnes of granite to Blue Anchor Beach near Minehead.
The scheme will use the materials to reduce erosion, protect a section of the B3191 road, and support the walls and mudstone cliffs on the coast.
Somerset Council has appointed Kier, and subcontractor Kelston Sparkes, to the £3.8 million and expects the work to complete by September 2023.
Inside the scheme
Somerset Council and Taunton Council delivered an initial phase of emergency repair works in 2020 upon discovering two “significant” holes in the sea wall, according to Somerset Live.
Somerset Council secured planning permission for the permanent defence scheme, which WSP designed, in April 2023.
This project will see Kier install more rock armour along the coastline and add mesh and turf to re-profile the cliffs to prevent future cracks.
On the delivery of the materials, Stephen Dryden, Aggregate division regional director for North Scotland and overseas for Aggregate Industries, said: “Logistically, it was no mean feat to transport 13,500 tonnes of granite from Western Scotland to Somerset, but it really demonstrates our capabilities.”
Councillor Sarah Dyke, lead member for environment and climate change at Somerset Council, said: “I am delighted to see these important works finally take place, benefiting the communities in West Somerset. The scheme will provide a more permanent defence against coastal erosion.”
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