Harbour Quay wall to be repaired

Repairs costing £87,000 are to be made to the Harbour Quay wall at Ballycastle.
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Members of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council met on Tuesday evening to discuss the matter during a meeting of the Environmental Services Committee.

Members heard that as part of regular maintenance, an engineering company had been commissioned by the former Moyle Council to undertake a survey and report on steel pile thickness in certain structures within the Harbour.

Director of Environmental Services, Aidan McPeak said: “The structures have been in place for more than 15 years, and in addition, the sheet piles were painted during the construction phase as a protection measure to delay corrosion.

“The survey has shown that the sheet piles are experiencing high rates of corrosion, in many locations the section loss is greater than the average predicted section loss...despite the limited protection measures implemented ie painting.

“The majority of the thickness readings taken at both the Inner Harbour and the Outer Harbour cellular caissons showed corrosion levels higher than would be expected for these structures. The deterioration of the sheet piles should be addressed by the provision of galvanic anodes to provide protection against ongoing corrosion. It is recommended that the anodes be applied to the full extent of the harbour piling to slow down ongoing corrosion and further deterioration particularly in the low water zone. The estimated cost for these works is £87,000.”

Cllr Sandra Hunter proposed accepting the recommendation saying that the harbour is a great asset and is “becoming busier and busier every year”. This was seconded by Cllr Kieran Mulholland.