Promenaders will notice in the English Channel, during lulls in the boisterous winter weather over the coming months, a dark black shape low in the water.

The vessel in question will be either the Mibau or the Armour Rock, two giant barges chartered to ship in more than 47,000 tonnes of rock from Larvik in Norway.

Each of these barges carries 20,000 tonnes of a granite called Syenite, which will be transferred to smaller barges that can carry 4,000 tonnes.

These smaller barges are then beached at low tide and a bulldozer moves the rock on to the shingle, where it will be repositioned to form a total of 42 breakwaters, replacing wooden groynes currently piled up like giant toothpicks on the foreshore awaiting removal.

Work has already started at the Shoreham Beach end, and will progress past Widewater Lagoon to East Worthing, finishing opposite Brooklands leisure park.

The Syenite will be reinforced by thousands of tonnes of seabed-dredged shingle, which will be used to build up vulnerable sections of the beach.

The Worthing-based Environment Agency said the £10 million scheme would provide improved defences for 3.3 kilometres of coastline, helping to safeguard more than £94 million pounds worth of property and assets, including 1,300 homes and 90 commercial premises.

Concern has been voiced about the work's impact on Widewater, a unique wildlife reserve where one of Britain's rarest animals, a sea anemone called Edwardsia ivelli, may still survive in the brackish water.

Jo Hunt, of the Environment Agency, said: "In recent years the Widewater has experienced low water levels and this has damaged the fragile habitat.

"Apart from the sea anemone it is home to several other rare species, including Lesnes earwigs, lagoon cockles, bilge bugs and hoglice.

Many birds, including some very rare species, also regularly visit.

"A piping system will be installed to promote higher water levels in the lagoon during the summer months.

"The pipe system will provide a more stable environment that will lead to considerable improvements to the whole area for residents, for wildlife and for visitors.

"The Edwardsia ivelli is transparent and in the shape of a star and has not been seen for several years. With the increase inflow of water it is hoped the creature may make a reappearance."

Meanwhile, there has been some activity with regard to further improvement of the promenade.

The neglected beach shelter overlooking Marine Crescent greensward has been given a long-overdue lick of paint, and the council has been prompt in repairing vandalism.

But the boating lake near the Aquarena is becoming clogged with rubbish again, and the burnt-out beach chalets near Splash Point remain an eyesore. Peter Pan's Playground has changed hands, and there is hope that some money will be spent on the overall appearance of the complex in the grounds of Beach House.

The shingle garden at Splash Point has taken hold and looks splendid, although the impact of winter gales on what seems a fragile foothold remains to be seen.

The same applies to the cordylines, which the council planned to protect with a straw "overcoat" during the harshest months.

The colourful Pavilion roof lighting appears to have been sorted out and is well worth a look after nightfall, but the white rope lighting is very patchy in appearance due to the failure of numerous bulbs, sometimes whole lengths of them, strung between lamp columns.

Finally, a number of readers have called for more seating on the pier, which is something the council should address.

Do you have any views
about the state of the seafront? Write to Paul Holden at 35 Chapel Road, Worthing, BN11 1EG, or e-mail paul.holden@

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