Plymouth flood barrier: Start date confirmed for £3m work

The footpath across the lock gates is planned to close from 13 to 17 November

A £3m repair and maintenance project for a Plymouth flood barrier will start in September 2023, say the operators.

Lock gates at Sutton Harbour protect the city from flooding and provide access to the marina and quays in the area.

The work on them will take place in two phases, from 4 September to 8 December and 11 March to 17 June 2024 when some restrictions will be in place.

The work was supposed to be carried out in autumn 2022 but was delayed.

The footpath across the lock gates will close from 13 to 17 November.

The project, funded by the government and managed by the Environment Agency, will include replacing worn lock gate sills.

Sutton Harbour Company, which operates the lock, Plymouth Fisheries and Sutton Harbour Marina, said it had been working closely with the Environment Agency and contractors Kier to "minimise disruption to the harbour's fishing and leisure fleets, wherever possible".

There will be no planned restrictions on the operation of the lock gates after 7 November 2023, while the remainder of the first phase works are completed.

There will also be no planned restrictions after 16 May 2024.

The lock gates website will have updates on the work progress, said Sutton Harbour.

A spokesman said the lock gates were a "critical part of Plymouth's coastal flood defences", and the work would "ensure the continuing effectiveness of the tidal barrage for another decade".

The firm's "overriding aim" had been to "maintain operations in the harbour to the maximum extent possible and minimise disruption for harbour users during these essential works".