MUMBLES COASTAL PROTECTION SCHEME
WELCOME TO
MUMBLES COASTAL PROTECTION SCHEME
The Mumbles Coastal Protection scheme aims to protect the community against coastal flooding and rising tides and will remodel the prom as a safe, modern, inclusive visitor attraction.
Swansea Council recently secured funding under the Welsh Government’s Coastal Risk Management Programme to undertake essential Coastal Protection works to a section of the existing sea defences at Mumbles promenade. The improvement works will afford enhanced flood and coastal erosion protection to businesses and residential properties currently at long-term risk of flooding. The protection works will be undertaken from Knab Rock to a point approximately 250m north of Oystermouth Square.
Knights Brown has been appointed as the contractor to undertake the work, which is currently planned to commence in January 2023 and be completed by Easter 2025.
The project, driven by Swansea Council, will help protect the community’s homes, businesses and people for decades to come. It also aims to improve Mumbles as a destination, with new lighting, litter bins, seating and better links to Mumbles Road.
JOIN US...
MARCH 27 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
VICTORIA HALL, MUMBLES
We would like to invite you to join us at our latest information-sharing session for the
Mumbles Coastal Protection Scheme
It is a brilliant opportunity to meet the team and ask any questions you may have about the project.
LATEST INFORMATION
.Mumtaz to Oyster Wharf
The promenade works from Mumtaz to Oyster Wharf are nearing completion. The seaview steps have been constructed, and a bespoke handrail is currently being fabricated. Once the handrail is completed and installed, beach access will be reinstated to the foreshore during periods when no work is ongoing on the beach. The planters at Oystermouth car park have been finished, including the installation of olive trees and other plants. Over the next month, we will install tactile paving and street furniture in preparation for the final surfacing, which is expected to be completed in this section before the Easter weekend. The land train will continue to operate to the dairy car park over Easter, but we expect it to return to the main promenade down to the pilot slipway before the May half-term.
**Oyster Wharf to Southend Slipway**
The wall in this area has been completed, and surfacing and new lighting have been installed alongside Mumbles Gardens. Trees have been planted, and additional plants and shrubs will be installed in the next week or so, at which point this area may be opened to the public. Construction of a secondary wall at Devon Place is underway, and the promenade has been filled to its final level from the bowling green to Southend in preparation for surfacing next week. Public lighting and street furniture will follow, with the goal to complete the surfacing in this section by the Easter weekend.
Southend Slipway
Heavy concrete work continues at Southend Slipway, with the final wave return sections nearing completion. This area will be the last to finish as we finalize all works to the foreshore and retreat from the area. The large floodgate for the slipway has been fabricated and will be installed in April.
Southend Slipway to Pilot Slipway
Secondary wall works are ongoing in this section, and surfacing has been completed for the full promenade width and meandering paths. Trees have been planted, and preparations for planting and street furniture installation are also underway. Over the past month, we completed the deep drainage system in the George car park, and we are currently installing drainage layers in preparation for porous surfacing in the car park. The surfacing will be installed next week to allow some parking to resume before Easter. New play equipment is currently being manufactured and is planned for installation in early April.
Pilot Slipway
The retaining wall for the Pilot Slipway is nearing completion, and construction of the slipway ramp is progressing well. The large red temporary structures have been removed, revealing the retaining wall. We have successfully completed another concrete art panel opposite the Pilot, serving as a lasting reminder of the important maritime heritage of the village and surrounding area. The artwork features 3D images of pebbles, oyster skiffs, and a historic RNLI lifeboat. Over the next few weeks, we will focus on completing the slipway and installing the floodgate frames in advance of the Easter weekend. We are confident that the slipway will be available for both Yacht Club and public use in time for Easter.
Archaeological Finds
We have had lots of questions about whether we have found anything of archaeological interest during our work.
Prior to commencing work, archaeologists had documented existing known assets that could be affected by the works.
We also undertook investigation work in areas where we anticipated assets could be disturbed. As part of the project, we have an archaeologist who oversees our work and undertakes a watching brief of ongoing excavations in the peat.
To date, the following items have been discovered:
May 23: Bow Section of an oyster boat – investigated and re-buried
Section of trackway – adjacent to one of the wrecks – old worked timber -removed to Lampeter University for further investigation
Oct 23: Small piece of tram track.
Plaque from Swansea gas light company was lent on hire in 1891.
April 2023 - We uncovered a piece of maritime history near the Southend slipway - a large timber vessel. Our archaeologists are diligently documenting this find.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Mumbles is currently protected by two types of coastal defences; a 0.5km-long mass concrete vertical sea wall that runs from Oystermouth Square to the bowling green area and a 0.7km sloping revetment structure that runs from the bowling green area to near Verdi's.
Some of these existing defences were built over a century ago and are in poor condition and at risk of flooding. The flood risk level is expected to increase in the future due to predicted sea level rises. A lack of action would put a number of homes and businesses at risk of flooding. The main aim of this project is to strengthen the sea wall and raise the heights of key parts of it to protect the area from future flooding.
The project will combine enhanced coastal defences with improvements to the Promenade right next to the main seawall.
The main areas of work will include:
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bringing the prom up to one level as it currently dips gradually from both ends (Verdis and Oyster Wharf) by up to around half a metre in the middle section
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strengthening the main coastal defence structure, main wall and revetment.
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replace existing railings with a low pedestrian wall similar to that currently at the Oystermouth Square car park.
Work will include widening the existing promenade to create a share with care pedestrian footpath and cycleway. This will improve connectivity and accessibility and promote sustainable active travel. Other public realm improvements include improved seating, views and connectivity, with enhanced hard and soft landscaping.
Work will see parts of the prom closed to the public in a phased manner throughout the work, expected to take around 22 months.
Access to homes and businesses will remain throughout.
Latest Progress Flight & Images
SEPTEMBER 2024
Latest Progress Flight & Images
November 2023
October Progress Flight
October Update
It has been a busy month for our site team as work has continued along the foreshore and on the promenade.
We’ve been hard at work constructing the stepped bases on the foreshore, and to date, 32 stepped bases have been cast within the section by Oystermouth Car Park. Work will continue on the remaining stepped bases during the winter months.
Construction work has also started on the wall sections that contain weep holes cored through the existing sea wall; these holes will allow residual groundwater to pass through the new works. Once we have completed the step sections in that location they will be backfilled and we will commence concrete pours to construct the sea walls.
We have started reinforcing the revetment between the tennis courts and Southend Slipway. So far, we have completed half a dozen lower concrete pours. These works are being completed around the tides. On the Promenade, we have completed a 75m stretch of secondary stone flood wall from the Oyster House hotel up to the end of Promenade Terrace. We are currently working on the stone planters and seating areas in front of Prezzo, aiming to complete the work during the winter months
when footfall is lower. These works will continue for the next 3-4 weeks and are weather-dependent. While these works are being undertaken, there will be a localised pedestrian diversion past the Oyster House Hotel area. Signage and lights have been erected to ensure the safety of pedestrians. Cyclists are required to dismount through the diverted area.
