In a bid to take greater control of dredging at Brighton Marina, Premier Marinas has invested £800,000 in purchasing its own dredger, which is specifically designed for dredging below and between bridgeheads, pontoons and fingers.

Delivery of the dredger, which will be owned and operated by Premier Marinas, is set for the end of November and will allow Premier to undertake extra dredging works to complement the current annual dredging programme.

Premier has also been granted a 10-year licence by the Marine Management Organisation which allows dredged material to be pumped directly to the dispersal site where it is introduced into the ecosystem.

This method, which has the full support of The Environment Agency and Natural England is usually a natural occurrence, however Premier together with the agency will monitor the results to ensure there is no adverse effect on the ecosystem.

Premier Marinas, managing director Peter Bradshaw said: ‘Deploying our own dredger will enable us to carry out dredging more frequently in a way that is less disruptive to the day to day operations at the marina.

‘Moreover, we hope it demonstrates our commitment to investing in our marinas and working in partnership with national and local governing bodies.’

Set on the East Sussex coastline, Brighton Marina offers in-water berthing for more than 1,200 boats, with two manmade breakwaters wrapped around the marina to provide shelter in all weather conditions.