Coastal Resilience

Folkestone-Hythe links Chunnel's contract to a spring beach order

Published 4 August 2026 Updated 14 October 2026 Publisher IMWO Region Europe Confidence Confirmed
Shingle beach and coastal defence frontage at Seabrook on the Folkestone and Hythe coast

Folkestone & Hythe District Council; Seabrook coastline image accompanying the March 2026 campaign notice

Chunnel's signed GBP 2.3 million excluding-VAT beach-management contract has a corrected three-year initial term and a two-year extension option. The council's March 2026 announcement scheduled a 100,000-tonne spring cycle, and its April disclosure names Chunnel against a GBP 120,000 purchase order. Completed tonnage, accepted beach profiles and current autumn work remain unconfirmed.

Corrected contract term and historical campaign order

Chunnel's December UK7 records the November signature, corrected term and value. Council releases describe the grant, historical spring schedule and April supplier-specific purchase order. Those records leave completed tonnage, cumulative expenditure, accepted profiles and the subcontract chain unconfirmed.

Contract value, funding and campaign quantities

Recurring shingle recycling requires campaign instructions, suitable plant and surveys of the resulting beach profile. The contract value, Environment Agency grant, programme volume, spring tonnage and purchase order describe different parts of that preparation and delivery process. Each retains its own unit and commercial scope.

Evidence conclusion

Programme scope and accepted beach profiles

Chunnel's current signed record is contract ID 2; cancelled ID 1 retains the earlier incorrect term. Signature is dated 3 November 2025; the UK7 was published on 4 December. The five-year 160,000 m3 programme measure and 100,000-tonne spring instruction are separate. The April order confirms the named supplier, while measured output, machinery allocation and profile acceptance remain outstanding. Mermaid Beach breakwater repairs are a separate procurement.

Outstanding evidence

  • Spring 2026 completion and final measured tonnage
  • Accepted beach-profile survey and sea-wall protection basis
  • Autumn 2026 instruction and plant mobilisation
  • Mermaid Beach breakwater repair procurement boundary
  • Contract modification, annual order and extension evidence
  • Named haulage, survey and environmental subcontractors

Related records 1

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

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