Update: Strong winds delay inspection of breakwater damage

Friday 19 January 2018

The Alderney Breakwater is at risk of further damage as strong winds batter the islands again.

The harbour structure was already damaged after storms earlier in the month, and efforts to find out how bad that damage is have been hampered by further windy weather.

On Friday 5 January a States of Guernsey spokesperson said the full extent of the damage had not been identified yet as nothing could be done in the short-term other than to observe what had happened: “Full on-site inspections will be completed as soon as it is safe to venture on to the breakwater,” they said. “It is hoped that this will be possible next week.”

That work has still not started as the bad weather has persisted. 

Express' Alderney correspondent, Krys Page, visited the breakwater on Thursday 11 January and found the damage was clearly visible. As well as older signs warning people walking on the breakwater to take care, there were large rocks and bricks which have clearly fallen from the structure as it was battered in the strong winds and waves earlier in the month.

Pictured: The Alderney Breakwater, pictured by Krys Page

Now, in a statement, Guernsey's Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services says: "Inspections last week showed that the damage was no more extensive than we had initially identified, which was loss of coping stones in two areas in the landward third of the structure, as well as some loss of cladding at the far (“bullnose”) end.  

"We have had no further reports of visible damage, but it has to be borne in mind that in the current weather conditions it is unsafe to staff to inspect at first hand".   

With the worst of the high winds now thought to have passed, ACLMS says it is hoping staff will soon be able "to venture onto the structure to assess whether we have any further damage to repair."

In a previous statement ACLMS said "repair work is set to be commissioned as quickly as possible to protect the structure from further structural erosion and damage."