Fermain cliff and wall repairs move closer after seven years
SEVEN years after a large section of the wall at Fermain collapsed, Environment & Infrastructure has confirmed a tender has finally been accepted to work out ways to stabilise the soft cliff and repair the military structure.
An E&I spokeswoman said it accepted it had taken a long time.
‘Work to stabilise the cliff and repair the damaged wall has been frustratingly slow to progress, because it cannot be categorised as a true sea defence,’ she said.
‘The wall at Fermain was built not as a sea wall but as a military defence against the threat of a French invasion, and the stability of the cliff is threatened more by the rain and groundwater seeping through the soft cliff than by the sea.’
Now a local consultant has begun a complete review of options for the reprofiling of the cliff and repair of the wall, which will culminate in a recommendation for a way forward, including requirements for further site investigation works.
No bids were received when the tender for design assistance was originally issued in 2019.
The spokeswoman said the coastal infrastructure team subsequently worked with those who had expressed initial interest to understand how the works could be re-tendered successfully.
This resulted in the appointment of a local civil and structural engineering consultant earlier this month.
The work required at Fermain is much larger in scope than a standard wall repair due to the need for both the reprofiling of the cliff and repair of the wall.
It is also more challenging because of its location and the limitations that imposes upon access and equipment.
The project has also been delayed by a lack of money.
‘Despite its aesthetic, cultural and historic value, it has been difficult to push the work required at Fermain to the front of the queue for funding as it does not protect key infrastructure and so does not tend to score highly in any capital prioritisation process, but Environment & Infrastructure recognises its societal importance and is committed to its repair,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘The assessment now taking place will provide both a preferred option for delivery and inform the scope of the investigatory works required in order to develop the preferred option for solution into a full detailed design.
‘That detailed design will then be the next step, which will require a separate formal tendering process.’
