Proposed 10-year licence follows feasibility assessment, with dredging targeted for spring 2027 and marina community encouraged to have its say
Premier Marinas has submitted a new marine licence application to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) seeking permission to undertake maintenance dredging at Brighton Marina and dispose of the dredged material at the established marine disposal site off Newhaven. The application seeks a 10-year licence and follows several months of detailed technical work to assess the suitability of Newhaven as a dependable long-term solution for Brighton Marina.
Maintaining navigable depths at Brighton Marina is essential to ensuring vessels can continue to enter and leave safely. Following the quashing of Premier’s previous 10-year licence in 2025, dredging has been unable to take place while alternative licensing routes have been examined. Premier is now aiming to recommence maintenance dredging in spring 2027, subject to the determination of the new application.
Once the application has been validated, it will enter the MMO’s formal consultation process, giving berth holders, marina businesses, marina users and members of the wider community an opportunity to submit representations. Premier is encouraging those who rely on Brighton Marina to take part and explain, in their own words, why reliable navigable access matters to them.
Detailed assessment of Newhaven
Newhaven became the primary focus after Premier examined the limited alternative disposal site options available along the Sussex coast. An Environmental Impact Assessment screening application covering dredging at Brighton and disposal at Newhaven was submitted to the MMO in May. The MMO completed its screening in June and confirmed that the proposed works did not require a full Environmental Impact Assessment.
Premier subsequently commissioned specialist marine consultancy ABPmer, working jointly with Newhaven Port, to undertake detailed sediment dispersion modelling of the disposal site.
The work has examined 15 different disposal scenarios, covering varying combinations of activity by Brighton Marina and Newhaven Port. This included modelling a scenario combining maximum disposal intensity from both locations to understand how sediment could disperse under the highest levels of anticipated activity.
Particular attention has been given to the potential interaction between sediment arising from disposal and the nearby Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). The completed modelling found that the addition of sediment from Brighton does not introduce an interaction of disposed sediment with the MCZ. The modelling and supporting assessments have now been submitted to the MMO as part of the Marine Licence application.
John Cervenka, Chief Operating Officer at Premier Marinas, said: “For more than a year, there has been real uncertainty around the future of maintenance dredging at Brighton Marina. Getting to the point where we can submit this application is therefore an important step, but it isn’t the end of the process.
“What happens next matters to a lot of people. Berth holders, commercial operators and businesses at the marina understand first-hand why reliable access is so important, and the formal consultation gives them an opportunity to make their voices heard.
“We’re not asking people to become experts in sediment modelling. We’re asking those who know and use Brighton Marina to explain their own experience and why maintaining safe, dependable access matters to them. At the same time, the technical evidence can be scrutinised through the proper regulatory process.”
Why dredging matters
Brighton Marina requires regular maintenance dredging because sediment naturally accumulates within its entrance and navigational areas. Without dredging, navigable depths progressively reduce, affecting the ability of vessels to enter and leave the marina safely.
The sediment removed during maintenance dredging is subject to a regulated testing process. The MMO advises on which substances need to be tested for, with samples collected by an accredited specialist contractor and analysed by a separate, independent accredited laboratory. The testing itself is undertaken by these third-party specialists, with the results considered through the regulatory process.
The marina is also an important centre of employment and economic activity. Almost 150 businesses depend directly on the marina, including commercial fishing operators, dive charters, sail training and marine tourism businesses, alongside hospitality, leisure and retail businesses. Around 1,200 people are employed directly across the site, while available employment and productivity data indicate the marina supports economic activity worth approximately £130 million in GVA each year. More than eight million visits are made to the wider marina site annually.
Cervenka continued: “The consequences of prolonged uncertainty extend well beyond the marina itself. Brighton Marina supports a substantial community of businesses and jobs, from commercial marine operators and training providers to hospitality, leisure and retail.
“A dependable long-term dredging solution gives all of those businesses greater confidence about the future. That is why securing a workable route forward matters not just to Premier, but to the wider marina community and Brighton itself.”
Public consultation
Following validation of the application, the MMO will begin its formal determination process. This includes technical assessment, consultation with statutory advisers and a public consultation period.
During the consultation, individuals and organisations can submit comments directly to the MMO. Anyone wishing to support Premier’s application can do so through the formal consultation process.
The MMO is expected to open consultation in late October or early November, against the application reference MLA/2026/00477. A public notice inviting consultation responses with details on how to do this will be issued via local newspaper and on site notice at the start of the consultation period.
Premier is encouraging people to provide representations in their own words and, where relevant, to explain their individual experience of using, working at or relying on Brighton Marina.
