As part of a wider investment in Jersey’s historic harbours, Ports of Jersey is looking to safeguard parts of the Grade 1-Listed St Catherine’s Breakwater. Plans are being submitted to start detailed investigations on the much-loved landmark to advise what work is needed to stabilise the slipway to the south and the buttress to the north of the breakwater.
As a protected structure, every step must be approved by government planning, heritage, and coastal defence teams. That means every decision balances public safety with heritage preservation, ensuring we honour its history while making smart, future-ready repairs.
Last year following damage caused by storms, a comprehensive survey of the structure was conducted by UK-based maritime design specialists AECOM. They carried out geophysical surveys and geomatics of the slipway and breakwater to determine what repairs were needed to safeguard the structure. The surveys incorporated drones, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW).
The results identified a need to undertake some immediate repairs to the buttress, which were completed in October 2024.
Ande Vibert, Public Service Obligations Manager, said, “Following further surveys and monitoring, the team has determined that intrusive ground investigations, which are only expected to take two weeks, are needed in both the buttress and slipway to better understand their stability and inform the design to reinforce them. We know how well-loved St Catherine’s is for walkers, swimmers, sailors, and ice-cream lovers alike and we are committed to preserving this historic structure so that it can continue to be enjoyed.”
Alison Horton, committee member at St Catherine’s Sailing Club, said, ‘I’m delighted that Ports of Jersey is looking to preserve and maintain this historic structure, ensuring that future generations will be able enjoy spending time here, just as much as we do today.
If planning is granted, the work is scheduled to start at the end of October.