Premier Marinas has submitted a one-year marine licence application to enable maintenance dredging and sediment dispersal at Brighton Marina, an activity that is necessary to fulfil legal and harbour safety obligations and ensure continued safe navigation, following last year’s application for judicial review and the quashing of the previous licence 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.
Premier Marinas, which operates Brighton Marina, remains committed to evidence-led environmental protection, working closely with the MMO and statutory advisers to ensure dispersal activity does not hinder conservation objectives and remains confident that all available evidence supports continued dispersal at Rottingdean.
Katie Sullivan, spokesperson for Brighton Marina, says: “I’ve been part of the Brighton Marina community for many years, and I understand why people care deeply about our coastline and marine environment – I do too.
“As Harbour Authority, we have a legal duty to maintain safe navigational access to the marina. Maintenance dredging isn’t optional; it’s essential to ensuring vessels can enter and leave safely, and to ensure the marina continues to support local jobs and businesses.
“This is a long-established, tightly regulated activity. The material is tested, monitored and subject to strict licence 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.”
Working with natural coastal processes
The Rottingdean disposal site lies within a dynamic sediment system shaped by longshore drift along this stretch of coast.
In the absence of the marina, sediment would naturally migrate along the coastline with material both settling and passing through Rottingdean as part of this process. Keeping material within this local system supports natural coastal processes rather than removing it entirely or displacing it elsewhere to a location which does not have similar biodiverse properties.
Using more distant disposal sites would remove the option of more efficient dredging techniques, extend time on site and increase overall environmental and operational impacts. It would also require longer vessel journeys, increased fuel consumption, and higher carbon emissions.
Premier Marinas maintains that keeping sediment within the local coastal system represents the most sustainable solution, with all available evidence continuing to support that this approach does not have a significant impact on the environment.
Background and timeline
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 licence 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 licence was quashed on procedural grounds relating to the assessment process undertaken by the MMO. The judgment did not conclude that dredging or dispersal at Rottingdean had caused environmental harm. Rather, it found that the MMO’s decision-making documentation and reasoning were legally insufficient in certain respects.
A long-established, regulated activity
Maintenance dredging and sediment dispersal at Brighton Marina is not a new activity. It has taken place for decades under regulatory control to ensure safe navigational access and to maintain the marina’s operational viability.
The dredged sediment is tested ahead of its disposal at the Rottingdean site, reintroducing it to the natural coastal sediment system.
This is the continuation of a long-established, tightly regulated activity that has operated alongside the protected marine environment for many years, both before and during the designation of the MCZ.
Economic contribution and consequences of delay
Brighton Marina is a significant contributor to the regional Sussex economy, supporting employment, marine businesses, residential units, supply chains, tourism and hospitality.
Premier Marinas has confirmed that ongoing uncertainty around the application has already had material economic consequences, including redundancies.
Next steps
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 6th March 2026)
- Review of representations received during consultation
- Further technical engagement between Premier Marinas and the MMO, where required
- A formal licence determination by the MMO.
During this period, Premier Marinas will continue to engage constructively with the MMO and statutory consultees to ensure that all evidential and regulatory requirements are fully addressed.
The company will continue to make information available to the public via the Harbour Board website: www.brightonmarina.co.uk/brighton-marina-harbour-board/
