Sussex Wildlife Trust celebrates success in legal battle to stop Marine Conservation Zone dumping as licence is quashed
Sussex Wildlife Trust is delighted to announce a major success in the judicial review of the decision to allow the dumping of dredged sediment in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has conceded they made a legal error – their decision was unlawful and has been quashed.
The licence would have allowed Brighton Marina to dump 100,000 tonnes of dredged sediment annually on a nationally important wildlife hotspot – home to Short-snouted Seahorses, Blue Mussel beds and a unique intertidal chalk reef.
We couldn't have raised this legal challenge without our incredible members, supporters, fellow environmental organisations and our expert legal team at Leigh Day, our Barrister, Jessica Allen from Number 5 Chambers, and the Environmental Law Foundation, who stood with us every step of the way.
Sussex Wildlife Trust’s successful challenge is important for marine protection policy across the UK. It sets a precedent that all potentially damaging activities in marine protected areas must be fully assessed for their impact on wildlife.
This is fantastic news for nature, but it doesn’t end there. The MMO must now reassess Brighton Marina's application and reach a fresh decision. There'll be another public consultation, and this time we expect them to properly examine the ecological impacts, in order for a new decision to be made lawfully. Ideally, they'll finally accept what we've been saying all along: this dumping cannot continue at Beachy Head West, and an alternative site must be found.
We'll be watching to make sure they get it right this time.
In the midst of a nature and climate crisis, it’s vital we take every step possible to secure nature’s recovery – so we’ll keep working hard to make sure Beachy Head West, and all marine protected areas, get the proper protection they deserve.
“We are proud to have had the courage of our convictions and to have been proved right in our challenge to a decision which would have caused significant harm to this nationally important marine protected area.
This outcome sends a clear message that decisions affecting our seas must be based on robust environmental assessment and proper legal process.”
Henri Brocklebank, Director of Conservation
Comments
A magnificent victory enabling the future protection and preservation of our local marine environment. Hopefully, this will also establish a nationwide model which other commercial companies will have to take into account in the future.
07 Nov 2025 10:38:00
Congratulations to all concerned in achieving this crucial step in rectifying such ill-considered marine dumping! Let’s hope the MMO has really accepted a “duty of care” to marine habitats.
07 Nov 2025 10:39:00
Some good news is always welcome! It gives me hope and encourages us to keep fighting for our beautiful but vulnerable planet.
07 Nov 2025 10:59:00
We done and lets hope they see sense- not over yet !!
07 Nov 2025 11:00:00
Wonderful news to start the weekend with! Well done to everyone involved. A huge win
07 Nov 2025 11:24:00
Well done to everyone who were involved in getting this outcome. You should be proud of your persistence and determination in showing that any government must keep the protection of our natural world uppermost in their plans and stand by their own laws. Well done again
07 Nov 2025 11:32:00
Congratulations on your success, common sense has prevailed and legal action should not have been neccesary.
Keep vigilant the preposal might come back .
07 Nov 2025 11:53:00
Well done to all involved in this heroic achievement. Stories like this will start to show that with dedicated and persistent commitment change can and will happen.
07 Nov 2025 11:54:00
Well done Sussex Wildlife Trust x x x
07 Nov 2025 11:54:00
Brilliant news – well done to Henri and the whole SWT team!
07 Nov 2025 12:03:00
Well done. From here it looks like the original decision came from an insufficiently accountable organisation.
07 Nov 2025 12:08:00
Good news let us hope this case is the beginning of extensive marine protection.
Well done.
07 Nov 2025 12:23:00
Congratulations! A truly spectacular win for all our precious marine wildlife. Very well done!
07 Nov 2025 12:29:00
Congratulations! A truly spectacular win for all our precious marine wildlife. Very well done!
07 Nov 2025 12:29:00
Many congratulations! We all know that dredged materials must go somewhere, but hopefully your victory in fighting this licence will encourage operators to think much more carefully about where they want to dump their spoil.
07 Nov 2025 12:35:00
Absolutely wonderful outcome. Well done to such a dedicated and hard working team for taking such care of our fragile marine environment. This is a victory that gives hope for the protection of all our beautiful habitats. Thank you.
07 Nov 2025 12:53:00
Excellent news and very hearting to see that at last wildlife organisations are not being intimidated by large companies and not being afraid to take legal action.
I know it’s expensive and risky, but we must find the resources to do it and grow teeth.
07 Nov 2025 13:06:00
Impressive achievement! Thank you for all those involved. This is a vital step in safeguarding marine environments, not only in Sussex but across the country too.
07 Nov 2025 13:12:00
A fantastic result and one which I was more than happy to lend financial support to.
As mentioned this should have wider legal implications for other ill thought out decisions and provide encouragement to others in challenging situations such as these that are an assault on nature. An alternative site for dumping the silt from the Martina can surely be found- inland ( and not in the SDNP ) any mitigation of the material should be provided by the owners of boats and commercial outlets that use the Brighton Marina- on the “ polluter pays” principle.
07 Nov 2025 13:14:00
Well done – great result
07 Nov 2025 13:46:00
Thankyou so much for your ongoing fights to protect and support our marine wildlife and all life
07 Nov 2025 13:52:00
Congratulations!!! And a massive thank you on your success and hopefully many more future success.
Well done to everyone concerned with fighting for this hugely important issue and good luck with all future endeavours.
07 Nov 2025 13:53:00
Congratulations! It must have taken courage and resilience from the members of your team to have achieved such a result, and this success will be an inspiration to others fighting for the Nature’s rights.
07 Nov 2025 14:09:00
Congratulations on winning this David and Goliath battle. Protection of every part of our planet is more vital than ever. We must keep fighting to show that ‘consultation’ isn’t just a tick box exercise.
07 Nov 2025 14:22:00
Great news, lets hope Brighton Marina seeks a more responsible way to dump the dredge material and that the MMO does not just go through a bureaucratic exercise, ignore scientific evidence and decide to re-approve the dumping of waste in a nationally important marine area because its cheaper. We must stay alert to this issue.
07 Nov 2025 14:30:00
Well done and lets hope sense prevails and a sustainable solution is found to dredging the Marina and conserving flora and fauna.
07 Nov 2025 14:49:00
Congratulations. This is a significant result and demonstrates the importance of Sussex Wildlife Trust and its commitment, in standing up for nature. My thanks to all involved.
07 Nov 2025 14:54:00
Brilliant work well done!
This is so important and the work you have done is outstanding.
07 Nov 2025 14:56:00
Congratulations and thanks to all involved. But this work should never have been necessary. A Marine Conservation Zone should do what it says on the tin.
07 Nov 2025 15:04:00
So happy for you! What positive news at the end of a week and I am just in awe of your efforts. As well as this being a positive decision in its own right, this is also a wonderful example of the value of SWT and also that bad decisions do not have to be final. We can learn a lot from your example of how publicity and effort and every name on a letter or petition does make a difference, no matter how small the individual action at the micro level, we can all contribute to a big positive impact. Thank you for showing what is possible.
07 Nov 2025 15:19:00
in these crazy times, it is gratifying to see common sense previal
07 Nov 2025 15:28:00
Congratulations and well done to all the team at the SWT and the legal team. Keep up the good work.
07 Nov 2025 15:33:00
What brilliant news. Thank you so much and massive congratulations to everyone who worked so hard for this.
07 Nov 2025 16:03:00
Thrilled with the outcome and proud to be a member of the Sussex Wildlife Trust . Thank you to all involved in challenging this decision and getting the dumping stopped. Due to your hard work and skilled efforts, this conservation area is getting the protection it deserves and needs.
07 Nov 2025 16:17:00
I join all your other supporters in congratulating you and your Team for the overriding success in preventing the dumping of dredged sediment on marine protected areas. Your vigilance is paramount! I pray this outcome will enlighten those within the MMO enough for them to realise themselves why dumping waste in conservation sites is not a sensible way forward rather than SWT having to rely solely on the law to implement the ruling.
07 Nov 2025 16:51:00
Fantastic news, congratulations on the outcome of everyone’s hard work
07 Nov 2025 16:59:00
Excellent news, brilliant work by SWT. Well done Henri and all concerned.
07 Nov 2025 17:20:00
Great news indeed , marine protection should mean what it says , well done , thank you .
07 Nov 2025 17:31:00
Very pleased with the successful quashing of the dumping license. The fragile eco system of our coastal waters deserves the same consideration as terrestrial national parks and sufficient resources allocated to enforce compliance with hard won protection for coastal areas.
07 Nov 2025 17:34:00
I am so proud of you all for this . I am glad a judicial route proved effective. It is so worrying that organisations ,like SWT, have to go to law to force public bodies ,we think of as there to protect society, from such bad decisions.
07 Nov 2025 18:13:00
Great to hear positive and fabulous news for a change. Let’s hope it puts a stop to dumping on protected sites for ever.
07 Nov 2025 20:48:00
I join all your other supporters in congratulating you and your Team for the overriding success in preventing the dumping of dredged sediment on marine protected areas. Your vigilance is paramount! I pray this outcome will enlighten those within the MMO enough for them to realise themselves why dumping waste in conservation sites is not a sensible way forward rather than SWT having to rely solely on the law to implement the ruling.
07 Nov 2025 21:55:00
Well done! Keep up the good work.The marine environment tends to be “out of sight ,out of
mind” but it is vital to preserve and enhance it.
08 Nov 2025 06:15:00
Great news, thankyou so much to all involved, heart-warming. Why this was even considered as possible is beyond belief. Thankyou from the bottom of the ocean
08 Nov 2025 06:34:00
Fantastic news!
Well Done to Everyone. Your commitment and courage gives us all Heart ❤️
08 Nov 2025 10:44:00
A wonderful result, thank you to all of you who worked so hard, a great achievement!
08 Nov 2025 17:24:00