Urgent call to action: stop dumping on our reef!

Charlotte Owen
, 19 May 2025
Urgent call to action: stop dumping on our reef!
Beachy Head West by Sarah Ward

By Sarah Ward, Marine Conservation Officer

*Update* 19 May 2025

We are appalled that the Marine Management Organisation has granted Brighton Marina’s Marine Licence to continue dumping dredged sludge on the sensitive chalk reefs and the other amazing marine habitats in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone.

We believe this activity is fundamentally incompatible with protecting such an important protected site. The water quality of our sea is already in dire need of improvement because of pollution with sewage, chemicals and sediment and pouring sludge directly into a supposedly protected site makes a mockery of the Government’s targets to improve the marine environment.

We will be reviewing options for further action once we have considered all the detail. This is a dark day for our efforts to restore our coastal special places.

Original post:

If you’ve been following this issue, you’ll know that we are still waiting for the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to decide whether to renew Brighton Marina’s licence to dump dredged sediment in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone.

This harmful activity should not be allowed to continue, and a decision should have been made by now to stop dumping on our reef and properly protect this marine protected area.

Weeks ago, the MMO said their decision was due ‘imminently’. The longer this goes on, the less confident we are that nature will be properly protected.

It’s time for us to up the pressure and take this to the top. Steve Reed MP is the Secretary of State for the Environment, and he is responsible for the MMO. We want the Secretary of State to step in and review the case to make sure the MMO upholds their biodiversity duty and makes the right decision: to stop dumping on our reef and properly protect this marine protected area.

This is where you come in! Public pressure is powerful. We need Steve Reed to know just how many people oppose the Marina’s application to keep dumping sediment on Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone. Since we don’t know how ‘imminent’ the MMO’s decision is, we’re launching an urgent call to action: please help us today by sending a message to Steve Reed using our simple e-action. We’ve outlined the key points and it’s easy to add your own words for maximum impact. Your voice can make a real difference!

Take action today: send an email to the Secretary of State

You can recap on the issue and what we’ve done so far here.

Black sediment smothering Beachy Head West
Black sediment smothering Beachy Head West © George Sutton

The post was originally published on 15 April 2025, and updated on 29 April 2025. 

Leave a comment

Comments

  • Miranda Pellew:

    The dredging has resumed but the dredger is further offshore though only about 1-1.5km from Ovingdean Beach. However, the sea water is already clearer which is great. Is there a way of checking the sea quality now to see the difference? I would like to know if the dredger is far enough out to dump its load.

    06 May 2025 09:17:00

  • Phil Belden:

    This decision starkly shows that there is no protection for our marine environment. Cruel irony as it comes straight after David Attenborough’s new film, Ocean, which graphically shows the damage being done to our seas, which should be the wake up call.
    Precious little of our coastal waters have any designations, the thin sliver of Sussex’s internationally rare chalk reef, with its sensitive filter-feeding wildlife is a designated Marine Conservation Zone, but even this hasn’t saved it. Our legal “protection” is woeful. Government seems to care little for our environment. We need a revolution!

    22 May 2025 15:31:00

Time Δ Debug Message - Perch Runway 3.2
1782581606.91260 [906] SELECT p.pagePath, pr.routePattern, pr.routeRegExp, p.pageTemplate, pr.routeOrder, s.settingValue AS siteOffline FROM swt_pages_staging p LEFT JOIN swt_page_routes pr ON p.pageID=pr.pageID LEFT JOIN swt_settings s ON s.settingID='siteOffline' UNION SELECT NULL AS pagePath, pr2.routePattern, pr2.routeRegExp, pr2.templatePath AS pageTemplate, pr2.routeOrder, NULL AS siteOffline FROM swt_page_routes pr2 WHERE templateID!=0 ORDER BY routeOrder ASC, pagePath ASC
1782581606.93650.0239Matched route: news/[slug:s]
1782581606.93660.0001Server address: 216.73.216.31
1782581606.93660Using master page: /templates/pages/blog/post.php
1782581606.93670Page arguments: 
Array
(
    [0] => /news/urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef
    [s] => urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef
    [1] => urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef
)
1782581606.9370.0003 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581606.93790.0009 [86] SELECT DISTINCT settingID, settingValue FROM swt_settings WHERE userID=0
1782581606.93970.0018 [1] SELECT locationID FROM swt_shop_tax_locations WHERE locationIsHome=1 LIMIT 1
1782581606.94040.0007INSERT INTO swt_shop_cart(memberID,locationID,currencyID,cartPricing,cartProperties) VALUES(NULL,'1',47,'standard','[]')
1782581606.94210.0017 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_cart WHERE cartID=22356448
1782581606.94250.0004 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_cart WHERE cartID=22356448
1782581606.9430.0005 [nil] SELECT * FROM swt_shop_sales WHERE saleFrom<='2026-06-27 17:33:00' AND saleTo>'2026-06-27 17:33:00' AND saleActive=1 AND saleDeleted IS NULL ORDER BY saleOrder ASC
1782581606.94410.0011 [1] SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT tbl.* FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, main.*, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM swt_blog_index idx JOIN swt_blog_posts main ON idx.itemID=main.postID AND idx.itemKey='postID' JOIN swt_blog_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemKey='postID' AND idx2.indexKey='_id' WHERE 1=1 AND ((idx.indexKey='postSlug' AND idx.indexValue='urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef')) AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemKey=idx2.itemKey GROUP BY idx.itemID, idx2.indexValue, postID ) as tbl WHERE (postStatus='Published' AND postDateTime<='2026-06-27 17:33:00' ) GROUP BY itemID, sortval ORDER BY sortval ASC LIMIT 0, 10
1782581606.94710.003 [1] SELECT FOUND_ROWS() AS `count`
1782581606.94750.0004 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_posts WHERE postID=3685 AND postStatus='Published' AND postDateTime<='2026-06-27 17:33:00'
1782581606.94820.0007 [13] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_sections ORDER BY sectionTitle ASC
1782581606.94870.0005 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_blogs ORDER BY blogTitle ASC
1782581606.94930.0006 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_categories WHERE catID=245 LIMIT 1
1782581606.94980.0005 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_categories WHERE catID=196 LIMIT 1
1782581606.95020.0003 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_categories WHERE catID=44 LIMIT 1
1782581606.95060.0004Using template: /templates/blog/post.html
1782581606.95080.0002 [162] SELECT catID, catPath FROM swt_categories
1782581606.95140.0007 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_posts WHERE postStatus='Published' AND postDateTime<='2026-06-27 17:33:00' AND postSlug='urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef'
1782581606.97210.0206Using template: /templates/blog/post.html
1782581606.97260.0005 [250] SELECT country, countryID FROM swt_shop_countries WHERE countryActive=1 ORDER BY country ASC
1782581606.97410.0015Using template: /templates/pages/attributes/seo.html
1782581606.97440.0002 [1] SELECT regionID, regionTemplate, regionPage, regionRev AS rev FROM swt_content_regions WHERE regionKey='Banner image' AND (regionPage='/news/post' OR regionPage='*')
1782581606.97510.0008 [nil] SELECT * FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, c.regionID, idx.pageID, c.itemJSON, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM swt_content_index idx JOIN swt_content_items c ON idx.itemID=c.itemID AND idx.itemRev=c.itemRev AND idx.regionID=c.regionID JOIN swt_content_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev AND idx2.indexKey='_order' WHERE ((idx.regionID=104 AND idx.itemRev=0)) AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemRev=idx2.itemRev ) as tbl GROUP BY itemID, pageID, itemJSON, sortval, regionID ORDER BY sortval ASC
1782581606.97660.0015 [82] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageDepth >=0 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1782581606.97950.0029 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581606.98010.0006 [2] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1782581606.98210.002Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template.html
1782581606.98210 [6] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.98290.0007 [4] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.98340.0005 [29] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.98570.0023 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.98630.0006 [7] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.98690.0006 [9] Using template: /templates/navigation/ps_nav_template_children.html
1782581606.9890.0021 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' OR pageSortPath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581606.98980.0007 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageHidden=0 AND pageNew=0 AND pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition
1782581606.99180.0021 [1] Using template: /templates/navigation/breadcrumbs.html
1782581606.99230.0004Using template: /templates/blog/post.html
1782581606.99240.0002 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_authors WHERE authorID='16' LIMIT 1
1782581606.99310.0006Using template: /templates/blog/author.html
1782581606.99330.0003 [1] SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS DISTINCT tbl.* FROM ( SELECT idx.itemID, main.*, idx2.indexValue as sortval FROM swt_blog_index idx JOIN swt_blog_posts main ON idx.itemID=main.postID AND idx.itemKey='postID' JOIN swt_blog_index idx2 ON idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemKey='postID' AND idx2.indexKey='_id' WHERE 1=1 AND ((idx.indexKey='postSlug' AND idx.indexValue='urgent-call-to-action-stop-dumping-on-our-reef')) AND idx.itemID=idx2.itemID AND idx.itemKey=idx2.itemKey GROUP BY idx.itemID, idx2.indexValue, postID ) as tbl WHERE (postStatus='Published' AND postDateTime<='2026-06-27 17:33:00' ) GROUP BY itemID, sortval ORDER BY sortval ASC LIMIT 0, 1
1782581606.99530.002 [1] SELECT FOUND_ROWS() AS `count`
1782581606.99580.0005 [1] Using template: /templates/blog/post.html
1782581606.99840.0026Using template: /templates/blog/comment_form.html
1782581606.99930.0009 [2] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_comments WHERE 1=1 AND postID=3685 AND commentStatus='LIVE' ORDER BY FIELD(webmentionType, 'like', 'repost', 'comment', NULL) ASC, commentDateTime ASC
1782581607.04860.0492 [2] Using template: /templates/blog/comment.html
1782581607.04930.0007Using template: /templates/blog/post.html
1782581607.04940.0002 [1] SELECT * FROM swt_blog_authors WHERE authorID='16' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05050.0011 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/what-we-do' OR pageSortPath='/what-we-do' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05120.0007 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-002' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05170.0005 [7] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-002%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1782581607.05370.002 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05410.0004 [2] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1782581607.0560.0019 [6] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1782581607.05680.0008 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/make-a-difference' OR pageSortPath='/make-a-difference' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05730.0005 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-005' LIMIT 1
1782581607.05770.0004 [38] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-005%' ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1782581607.060.0023 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581607.06040.0004 [2] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1782581607.06210.0017 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1782581607.06420.002 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/visit' OR pageSortPath='/visit' LIMIT 1
1782581607.06470.0006 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-004' LIMIT 1
1782581607.06520.0004 [30] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-004%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1782581607.06760.0025 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581607.06820.0006 [2] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1782581607.07010.0018 [29] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1782581607.07150.0015 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/make-a-difference' OR pageSortPath='/make-a-difference' LIMIT 1
1782581607.07210.0006 [1] SELECT pageID, pageParentID, pageDepth, pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition='000-005' LIMIT 1
1782581607.07250.0004 [11] SELECT * FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageNew=0 AND pageHidden=0 AND pageTreePosition LIKE '000-005%' AND pageDepth >=1 AND pageDepth<=2 ORDER BY pageTreePosition ASC
1782581607.07460.0021 [1] SELECT pageTreePosition FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pagePath='/news/post' LIMIT 1
1782581607.07510.0005 [2] SELECT pageID FROM swt_pages_staging WHERE pageTreePosition IN ('000-006-001', '000-006', '000') ORDER BY pageTreePosition DESC
1782581607.07710.0021 [10] Using template: /templates/navigation/footer-nav.html
1782581607.07860.0014Request time: 0.1685
1782581607.07860Process time: 0.1684
1782581607.07860Memory: 1.6357