Aggregate dredging in the SCOPAC region

An update on the re-licensing of aggregate extraction areas in the South Coast

Aggregate dredging offshore of the Isle of Wight

The South Coast Dredging Association (SCDA) is an informal grouping of all marine aggregate dredging companies with licensed sand and gravel extraction areas off the south coast, offshore of the Isle of Wight.

ABPmer were commissioned by the SCDA to undertake a regional Coastal Impact Study (CIS) for marine aggregate extraction sites off the South Coast of England. This CIS will inform Regional Supporting Studies that will supplement the South Coast Marine Aggregate Regional Assessment (MAREA) and will inform the forthcoming re-licensing of the aggregate extraction areas in the South Coast region.

Since the MAREA studies were completed by HR Wallingford in 2010, some companies of the SCDA wish to investigate localised deeper dredging in certain licence areas, whilst other licence areas have been relinquished. As a result, these original studies have been updated to investigate the potential effects of the existing (and licensed/proposed future) dredging on physical processes and resultant impacts on identified receptors across the study area.

The webinar below was provided by Dr Andrew Bellamy (Tarmac) and Adam Fulford (ABPmer), and provides an update on the re-licensing of aggregate extraction areas in the South Coast region and presents the regional modelling reviewed by the SCG and SCOPAC steering group – the webinar recording is restricted by password to attendees and members