Brighton Marina dredge disposal
Short-snouted Seahorse © Paul Naylor
Brighton Marina’s licence to dispose of their dredged sediment was originally granted before the site was afforded protected status. Now that the area is designated, it’s not appropriate to allow this harmful activity to continue. It is fundamentally incompatible with the conservation objectives of the site and the Government’s target to protect 30% of land and sea for biodiversity by 2030. Disposal within the MCZ must be halted permanently.
Latest developments
September 2026
We’re aware that Brighton Marina is now considering the use of an alternative disposal site at Newhaven. However, the recent media coverage implying that Sussex Wildlife Trust endorses the use of the Newhaven site is not an accurate reflection of our current position.
We encouraged Brighton Marina to seek an alternative disposal site as a long-term solution but have not promoted or endorsed the use of the Newhaven site in preference to any other option. It’s important to note that the Newhaven disposal site is adjacent to Beachy Head West MCZ and we remain concerned about potential impacts on this marine protected area. Our preferred option is a new disposal site offshore, well away from the MCZ.
March 2026
Brighton Marina has submitted a new application for an interim one-year licence to continue disposing of their dredge spoil in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation. The consultation is closed on 6 April 2026.
We remain fundamentally opposed to the disposal of dredged material in the MCZ and have submitted an objection to the consultation – MLA 2026 00065 Sussex Wildlife Trust objection.
Our main objections and concerns
Beachy Head West is a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), which is similar to a nature reserve at sea. It’s a nationally important wildlife hotspot home to Short-snouted Seahorses, Blue Mussel beds and a unique intertidal chalk reef.
As a protected area, the aim is to safeguard and restore the sensitive marine wildlife and habitats in the area, which is part of a network of marine protected areas around the UK.
Dumping dredged sediment here will impact the reef and its special wildlife.
There are knock-on impacts for people too: the area is a popular surf spot and the impacts of sediment disposal are known to affect water quality.
The story so far
April 2025
Brighton Marina’s previous licence to dredge and dispose expired in April 2025, prior to which they applied for a new licence to continue their operations. The licence as applied for would have allowed them to dispose of 100,000 tonnes of sediment annually for 10 years.
Sussex Wildlife Trust, along with many others, responded to the public consultation to object to this application, outlining our concerns and rationale for opposition.
May 2025
Despite a huge number of objections and a public-facing campaign, the MMO announced their decision on 16 May 2025 to renew Brighton Marina’s licence for a further ten years.
Our next step was legal action.
Sussex Wildlife Trust challenged the decision by the MMO to grant the marine licence through a judicial review.
A judicial review is a legal process by which a court examines the lawfulness of a decision made by a public body (in this case the MMO). It is not about whether the decision is right or wrong, but the process by which the decision was reached.
We challenged the decision on four grounds:
1. The MMO were unclear in their decision of whether the application required an Environmental Impact Assessment
2. The MMO failed to adequately assess the application against elements of the South Marine Plan
3. The MMO failed to take a precautionary approach to the potential impacts on the MCZ
4. The MMO did not have sufficient evidence to conclude that the application would not negatively impact the MCZ
November 2025
The MMO conceded on the second ground, and ultimately the licence was quashed on 4 November 2025, without the need to go to court.
March 2026
Brighton Marina has submitted a new application for an interim one-year licence to continue disposing of their dredge spoil in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation.
September 2026
Brighton Marina is now considering the use of an alternative disposal site at Newhaven.
© Paul NaylorWhat next?
Brighton Marina is now seeking an interim one-year licence while they ‘address longer-term licensing matters’. The public consultation for this closed in April.
Sussex Wildlife Trust recognises the need for Brighton Marina to remain operational and to carry out maintenance dredging – this has never been in question. Equally, we have a responsibility to challenge practices that risk harm to designated sites and the biodiversity they are meant to protect. We remain fundamentally opposed to the continued disposal of dredged material in a protected area. We want to see commitment to the removal of this activity from the MCZ for good.
Brighton Marina is now considering the use of an alternative disposal site at Newhaven.
Within marine licence applications the applicant (i.e. Brighton Marina) has an obligation to fully consider alternative disposal sites. The suitability of the Newhaven site would therefore need to be assessed and evidenced by Brighton Marina and then scrutinised by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) – particularly because this site is already being used for dredge disposal by Newhaven Port. There is currently no available data or evidence to quantify the environmental impacts of any additional dredge disposal at Newhaven.
Sussex Wildlife Trust awaits further information submitted by the applicant to determine what the environmental impacts might be, with particular focus on impacts to the adjacent MCZ. Until we have this information, Sussex Wildlife Trust does not have a view on whether Newhaven is a suitable alternative disposal site. We will respond to any further licence application as and when it is submitted, and our comments will be based on the ecological evidence supplied alongside it.
Find out more about Sussex’s chalk reefs
© Paul Naylor
