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...
FEBRUARY 27 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
VICTORIA HALL, MUMBLES
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
North tie-in to Oyster Wharf
The seawall itself is now complete in this section with the artwork panel at Oyster Wharf also now complete and formally unveiled. The balustrade to the wave return has also been completed over the last month, and the Seaview steps have been formed to enable beach access to resume as soon as the bespoke handrail is complete. We are currently completing the secondary wall at Oyster Wharf following refurbishment of the tramway poles, which will include completion of the planters adjacent to Oystermouth Car park in preparation for planting trees and plants in the coming weeks.
Oyster Wharf to Bowling Green
We have completed the seawall to this section with the final gap in the wall completed in early February. This section has also been raised to its final level with infrastructure for public lighting, and drainage installed. The surfacing has been applied to the new wider promenade and also to the secondary pathway around the existing trees. The next phase will involve landscaping works and the planting of trees, along with installation of foundations for picnic benches.
Bowling Green to Southend Slipway
The seawall has recently been completed in this area, and there is now a team of stonemasons constructing the secondary wall along Devon place. Once the wall is completed the promenade level will be raised and new lighting and surfacing completed to this section. The permanent pedestrian crossing has been installed to Promenade Terrace opposite the Catholic Church.
Southend Slipway
Works have continued this year to re-construct the Southend Slipway ,with the reinforced concrete work progressing well to both flanks. Works will now continue to close up the seawall either side of the slipway and complete the ramp and floodgate foundations.
The public realm works to this area will follow completion of the slipway, and will be one of the last areas to be completed. The area of the old boatyard will be landscaped , with new paths connecting the existing playground and climbing structures erected adjacent to the promenade.
Southend Slipway to the George car park.
This section of promenade was partially opened to the public for Xmas, and works this year have involved raising the level of the area, installing the new public lighting columns and drainage work. The full width of the new promenade has now been surfaced along with the secondary paths behind the main prom which will feature picnic benches, loungers, hammock and play equipment when complete. The next phase will be completion of the landscaping works and planting of trees at promenade level and to the rear of the new echelon parking spaces.
George car park
The George car park is currently our work and storage area, but will soon become the next area of focus.
Whilst secondary wall construction continues, we will commence works to install a large soakaway tank to accommodate the drainage to the area. This will then lead to reinstatement of a larger car park area and completion of the promenade and reinstatement of boat / dinghy storage area.
Pilot slipway.
Works have continued this month to complete the seawall adjacent to Verdi's and continue construction of the Pilot Slipway Retaining Wall. The large red Trench Boxes have been installed to enable the wall foundations to be installed , whilst protecting existing services in the promenade. The retaining wall is progressing well and has now 'emerged' at the Verdi's end. We have now commenced the wave return to the top of this wall which will also feature a bespoke artwork panel. Works to reinstate the remaining sections of Pilot Slipway is also ongoing to this area.
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.
