Harbour dredging to resume after licence approved

Dredging is to resume in Whitby harbour after a new licence was secured, councillors said.

North Yorkshire Council said it would allow its vessel the Sandsend to operate in Whitby after similar permissions were obtained allowing it to work in Scarborough last December.

Dredging is required to remove silt and sand at the bottom of the harbours to ensure they remain operational.

The council said the licence was granted by the Marine Management Organisation following a rigorous application process.

As the silt and sand wash downstream in Whitby and through the harbour mouth in Scarborough, sediment fills channels and harbours and needs to be regularly removed.

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les said: "While we have been waiting for the licence in Whitby, harbour staff have been working hard to monitor the dredging depths and the state of the harbour.

"We recently had significant work done on the vessel to ensure it is fit for purpose."

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