Work finally begins to repair Kirkcaldy harbour

The move follows concerns raised by residents in a nearby housing development.

Forth Ports has now appointed Southbay Civil Engineering Ltd to rebuild part of the wall near Williamson’s Quay after damage was caused by the ‘Beast from the East’ storms earlier this year.

Residents living nearby reported the problem to Forth Ports which has been monitoring the damage.

The owners of Kirkcaldy Harbour, Forth Ports, have appointed expert contractors Southbay Civils to repair and rebuild the damaged sea wall adjacent to Williamsons Quay at the Fife port.

By early August the hole had grown steadily bigger, causing the ground to fall away on the other side of the sea wall in an area along from the old harbour boat shed near the flats.

Residents claimed the hole posed a safety risk, particularly to youngsters playing in the area.

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Forth Ports then cordoned off the area as a safety precaution as it worked on the design and marine consents required for the remedial repairs.

Last month the work by Southbay got under way to implement the repairs designed by consultant engineers Wallace Stone LLP.

The contract is worth several hundred thousand pounds, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Southbay will restore the damaged sea wall above and below the water line and install several hundred tonnes of new rock armour in front.

The North Shields-based company is an expert in its field and has previously worked with Forth Ports on other projects.

Ian Kerr, from the port owner and operator and who is overseeing the project, said: “We are pleased this project is under way.

“The damage to the sea wall was exacerbated during the extreme weather conditions and we wanted to ensure that the rebuild was completed ahead of the upcoming winter storms.

“This is a significant investment for the port but it’s important that we ensure the sea facing walls are strong.

“We look forward to seeing the work completed in December.”