Summary Report of Repair Works Carried out to kart track frontage December – January . Following further extensive storm damage which has caused serious erosion of the protection bund at the beach corner area of the track, in conjunction with the Golspie Beach Protection Working Group, SNH and the local planning authority, permission was granted for GF Job Limited to excavate and remove storm washed gravels from the neighbouring National Nature Reserve (NNR). With a detailed work and reinstatement method statement prepared by GF Job and approved by SNH, work started on 11th December 2014. Using GF Job’s tracked excavator initial work involved pulling up the large displaced rock from the beach frontage and generally shoring up (no pun intended) the bund using all available storm washed materials from the area at the toe of the bund. With this task completed and following an induction from SNH, work was started on the NNR to excavate the storm washed gravels from the shore front ridge of the NNR and haul the material to the track using a Volvo dumper. Following the recent extensive studies carried out by SNH on the migration of beach materials associated with the action of erosion, it could be seen on the NNR where the most recent storm washed materials had been deposited. In keeping with the proposed medium to longer term measures involving active beach replenishment works for which extensive funding is being sought through the Golspie Beach Protection Working Group which consist of; the kart club, Golspie Caravan site, Highland Council Planning, SNH, Golspie Community Council and Sutherland Estates, the repair works to the kart track protection bund were planned to also serve as a trial for using the coarse gravels on the bund and monitor how the material performed in relation to further wave wash action. Unfortunately as a result of the excavated gravel materials being found to contain a significantly higher proportion of finer material, estimated to be 75% minus 25mm, the process of separating out the coarse gravels before being placed on the bund proved too costly for the kart club to fund prior to the main source of funding being confirmed. To ensure the repair works were made to be as effective as possible given the importance of using the recently generously gifted funds to the kart club as wisely as possible along with the donation of additional working days for the plant and fuel by GF Job Limited, every effort was made to excavate as much sand and gravel material as possible from the NNR to rebuild and add to the beach protection bund at the kart track. During the operation a total of some 4,000 tonnes of material was excavated and placed on the bund and while it is anticipated that there will be further storm wash erosion likely to occur to the bund with a width of some 8m where there was previously only 2m this work should ensure that the kart track is provided with adequate protection until the main funding source is obtained and beach replenishment works can be started, allowing the club members to be able to have the use of the track going into the 2015 season. With the working group continuing to meet once a month going into 2015, every effort will be made to identify and source the £300,000 of funding required to carry out the large scale beach front protection project. Adrian
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 21:48:41 +0000
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