Final stretch of Poole Bay's decade-long coastal defence work now under way

The last three timber groynes west of Boscombe Pier are now being replaced, marking the final phase of a ten-year programme that has reshaped the defences protecting Poole Bay's beaches. Work on this closing stretch began on 12 October and is due to finish in March 2027.

Once complete, all 53 timber groynes renewed under the current scheme will be in place — each one stretching around 75 metres in length, roughly the equivalent of seven double-decker buses end to end, with foundations sunk approximately five metres into the beach.

The replacement work is being delivered by local contractor Suttle Projects and forms part of the wider 17-year Poole Bay Beach Management Scheme, which aims to protect the coastline from Sandbanks to Hengistbury Head from flooding and erosion for the next 100 years.

Beachgoers near Boscombe Pier should expect some activity in the area while the final works are completed, though the broader seafront remains accessible. Full details are available from BCP Council's news hub.