Breakwater plans for county sailing Mecca

They have secured the money needed to build a second breakwater near the entrance to the Lymington River, which is worth almost £100m a year to the local economy.

Salt marsh islands in the Solent protect the hundreds of yachts moored in the harbour by cushioning the impact of winter storms. But the marshes are eroding at an ever-increasing rate, making it necessary to replace them with huge barriers.

The first breakwater was completed three years ago. Now Lymington Harbour Commissioners have obtained the funding they need to build a second on the opposite side of the river entrance.

New Forest District Council has agreed act to borrow £3.24m from the Public Works Loan Board to help the project go forward. The plan was approved by the council’s ruling Cabinet, which heard that the commissioners could not approach the board directly.

Harbourmaster Ryan Willegers welcomed the council’s decision.

He said a survey carried out by Lymington Chamber of Commerce in 2006 showed that the river supported hundreds of jobs and was worth £93m a year to the local economy.

Mr Willegers added: “The salt marshes have been declining due to natural causes since the 1920s and are becoming less effective in protecting the harbour from wave attack.

“It is estimated that by about 2050, the marshes and the protection they provide will have disappeared.

“The loss of a sheltered harbour would have a significant impact on many sections of the local community.

“It could amount to the majority of moorings in the river being lost, which would be disastrous.”

Lymington is home to two of the south’s premier yacht clubs, plus exclusive marinas and more than 1,600 leisure craft.

It has also produced several Olympic medal winners, including the record-breaking Sir Ben Ainslie.

In a six-phase scheme, the two breakwaters will be extended over the next three decades as the town’s natural coastal defences continue to disappear.