Premier Marinas applies for Brighton dredging license

Premier Marinas has submitted a one-year marine license application to enable maintenance dredging and sediment dispersal at Brighton Marina.

According to Premier Marinas, this is an activity that is necessary to fulfil legal and harbor safety obligations and ensure continued safe navigation, following last year’s application for judicial review and the quashing of the previous license on procedural grounds.

The judgment related to how the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) documented its assessment under Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) legislation. The interim one-year application is intended to allow the marina to continue its operations whilst a longer-term solution is determined. 

Commenting the news, Katie Sullivan, spokesperson for Brighton Marina, said: “This is a long-established, tightly regulated activity. The material is tested, monitored and subject to strict license conditions. I know there has been a lot of discussion, and some misinformation, about sediment dispersal at Rottingdean. That’s why it’s so important that the debate is based on evidence.”

“We are committed to working constructively with the regulator. We are mindful of local concerns particularly around the dispersal operation, and our goal is to protect the environment while safeguarding the future of Brighton Marina and the people who rely on it, using the best available evidence.”

Maintenance dredging and sediment dispersal associated with Brighton Marina has taken place for several decades under marine licensing controls.

Sediment dispersal at the Rottingdean site pre-dates the designation of the local Marine Conservation Zone and has historically operated within the same coastal sediment system.

The MCZ was designated in 2013, with existing licensed disposal activities in the area already part of the environmental baseline.

In 2025, the MMO granted a new 10-year marine license permitting continued maintenance dredging at Brighton Marina and disposal of the dredged material at the Rottingdean disposal site. That decision was subsequently challenged by judicial review.

The interim one-year marine licence application will now follow the MMO’s statutory determination process.

This includes:

• Validation of the application by the MMO,
• Technical assessment of the application,
• Consultation with statutory advisers, including Natural England, Cefas and the Environment Agency,
• Public consultation period (open for 28 days from March 6, 2026),
• Review of representations received during consultation,
• Further technical engagement between Premier Marinas and the MMO, where required,
• A formal license determination by the MMO.