Council to increase scale of dredging in Whitby after rules relaxed

​The scale of the dredging campaign in Whitby Harbour is set to be accelerated after restrictions were relaxed by the government’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

​Dredging removes silt and sand at the bottom of harbours to help ensure they remain operational.

​Chris Bourne, North Yorkshire Council’s head of harbours and coastal infrastructure, said: “We’ve been somewhat hampered by the conditions that are attached to the dredging licence around the quantities that can be removed and also an exclusion area around Endeavour Wharf.

​“We’ve been working very, very hard to try to remove or relax those conditions and I’m pleased to say that last week the MMO did agree to remove the 5,000 tonne limit per month on dredging.

​“So that does mean we can achieve more dredging and get the harbour dredging subject to the weather and sea conditions.”

​Last summer, the council announced it would resume dredging in Whitby with its vessel Sandsend, after securing a new licence.

​The authority previously said it was “regrettable that the dredging licence was allowed to expire”.

​Dredging work has also been undertaken by the council in Scarborough.

​According to the Environment Agency, dredging and desilting can have “serious and long-lasting negative impacts on the environment”.

​“For example, it can damage or destroy fish spawning grounds and make river banks unstable,” the agency said.

​Speaking at a meeting in Whitby on March 2, Mr Bourne said: “Dredging is without a doubt the most important thing in both of the harbours.

​“There was no dredging for a period of years, and it proved almost impossible to secure the dredging licences.

​“We’ve now managed to secure them, and we’re managing to remove some of the associated conditions with those, so dredging is ongoing now in Whitby, and it will be in Scarborough as well.”

​Mr Bourne said that following the completion of the dredging campaign in Whitby, the council’s dredger, Sandsend, will go to Scarborough, after which it will return to Whitby for a second campaign.

​“Dredging will be ongoing throughout this year,” he added.