For those of you training in Dover harbour this Spring/Summer, please beware there is a lot of reconstruction work going on. Please read the information below:
Information regarding work and issues raised are as follows :-
1. From now until end 2018, Granville Dock and Tidal Basin, where most CSA boats are moored, will remain in use.
2. April 2017, Wellington Cut (new access to Wellington Dock, just south of Water Sports Centre) commence piling and construction. Also commence dredging of harbour just north of Prince of Wales Terrace and piling to construct new marina births to north of Prince of Wales Terrace and in front of Water Sports centre.
3. Exclusion zone for traffic along end of promenade now in place. Vehicle access only allowed to Water Sports centre. No vehicle access to existing marina but pedestrian access from promenade and over swing bridge will be maintained during construction work. Only vehicle access to marina will be via A20 during construction period.
4. Marina parking, will only be available adjacent to marina office. This is now just for marina users and public parking spaces & parking meter are/have been removed. Additional parking will be provided in the Wellington Dock area (access off the A20). For births in the Tidal Basin a designated walkway is in place from the security gate to the marina office car park.
5. Re Construction, no contractors will be working Saturday afternoons, Sundays or bank Holidays. Normal working hours will be 08:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs. But dredging will take place 24 hrs a day and possibly over weekends.
Considerable concern expressed with regard to noise associated with pile driving. Was confirmed that for half of the initial 2 year construction period, piling operations will be undertaken.
A 100m exclusion zone will be in operation, but for any employees working within this zone, ear protection should be used. Individual discussion and advice will be given for any businesses who will have employees within this zone.
6. Within the main harbour, a 100m exclusion zone will be permanently marked with buoys and connecting floats. This will be marked from the existing slipway (just south of swimmers beach). No swimmers will be allowed south of this line of buoys.
7. Issue raised re 'sub-acoustic' noise levels created by piling. Harbour Board confirmed that professional advice is being obtained and the advice may be that swimming for long periods should not be undertaken within the harbour except outside of the period when piling will be taking place ie., Saturday pm, Sundays and bank Holidays. Whilst this will not affect the CSA in any way, it will affect swimmers who will be swimming with the CSA that use the harbour.
You can also swim at Shakespeare Beach (where CSA swims used to set off from - just re-opened), St Margaret's Bay and Folkestone Beach.
