St Andrews harbour gates head down south for repair

A spokesperson for the St Andrews Harbour Trust said: "These crucial repairs, which will take place in Wales, will allow us to resume full management of both the harbours and the seabed.

"The gates are used by the Harbour Master to control the flow of water between the harbours, allowing the use of the inner harbour even when the tide goes out. In addition, the gates protect boats in the inner harbour from storms.

"At the moment, there is no protection available in the event of a storm surge until the gates are repaired and returned and can be reinstalled.

"With the gates repaired and reinstalled, we will once again be able to use the water in the inner harbour to scour the outer harbour, thus helping to keep it clear of sand, debris and seaweed, something we cannot do without the gates.

"Currently, the channel has to be cleared by mechanical means every fortnight, at significant additional expense to the Harbour. We hope that the repaired gates will be reinstated by Easter.

"In the meantime, we are accelerating our efforts to fundraise for the long-term repairs of the pier and cliffs, which are likely to cost over £3M. The pier remains closed while we continue to fundraise and explore additional funding streams for the long-term repairs and the future-proofing of the slipway, pier and cliff. A GoFundMe page can be accessed through the Harbour website or on Facebook.