THE “amazing efforts” of the local community have been lauded following the restoration of North Berwick’s harbour wall.
On Friday, North Berwick Harbour Trust reopened the harbour walkway following the end of the project to reinstate the stricken harbour wall.
The wall, which was damaged by storms in October last year, was rebuilt under the guidance of main contractor Southbay Civil Engineering Ltd, who hired Haddington-based East Coast Masonry to carry out the detailed stonemasonry work.
The harbour trust said it was thrilled to have fully reopened the town’s harbour walkway following the completion of the harbour wall restoration some days earlier.
Andrew Duns, treasurer of North Berwick Harbour Trust, told the Courier: "We are delighted to have been able to reopen the walkway and to see the wall completed and the harbour repaired and restored.
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“The contractors have been brilliant and not only done a great job of the work but have worked hard to fit in with the community spirit we are working to develop at the harbour.
“It’s been an amazing effort from all of the community and the support
from everyone has enabled all of the work to be completed.
"He added: “It’s been humbling for the harbour trust to have so much brilliant support in terms of effort, money and moral support, and shows how important the harbour is to all of the local community.”
Funding for the repairs came from East Lothian Council, the Marine Directorate, North Berwick Trust, North Berwick Harbour Trust, and a Justgiving page which saw members of the public donate £42,783.
Mr Duns added: “It’s a great example of where we work together, we can complete great things.
"I have no doubts without all the community support and donations we would not have been able to gain the momentum to get the repair started in April and completed in September.
"So a special thanks to all our helpers and the community for the support and patience.”
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In addition to repairing the main wall, Southbay Civil Engineering’s team also carried out a range of repairs in the wider harbour area, including replacing and repairing the older wedges, resetting the rock armour, improving drainage, repairing walkways and electrics, and strengthening
the walkway to Galloway’s Pier.
Mr Duns added: “We have done all we can to prepare the harbour for this winter and any future storms, and whilst we still have worries about other parts of the outer walls, we are confident we have done all we can with the support we have.
“We know there is still a lot to do, and concerns remain for the outer walls, and we look forward to ongoing support to improve those in the coming years.
“We still have some works planned, and work will continue with repairs to The Granary wall over the next few months, in a joint effort from the residents and the harbour trust.”
North Berwick Harbour Trust is set to hold further public meetings next month to give more detailed accounts of all the work and spending, and to explain the next steps and future priorities.
To find out more, see the North Berwick Harbour Trust Facebook page.
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