The 140 metres of rock now guarding Saltash’s Jubilee Green

Walk along the railings at Jubilee Green and look down. The tired concrete slope that held the riverbank together beneath the bridges has gone, and a long bank of fresh rock now sits in its place, running right down into the water.

The new coastal defence at Saltash‘s Jubilee Green is almost finished, after a summer of work on the banks of the tidal River Tamar.

Nearly there

Saltash Town Council has shared an update from Cormac, which says construction of the new defence is almost complete. All that is left to do is fill the space under parts of the footway.

The scheme has replaced the old, deteriorating revetment with around 140 metres of new rock armour. It is there to protect the seawall, the riverbank, the boat park, the public open space and the car park from coastal erosion.

📷The new rock armour coastal defence at Jubilee Green, Saltash. Credit: Saltash Town Council

Why the old defence had to go

The revetment (a sloping protective layer along the foot of the seawall) was put in to stop the river eating away at the boat park, green space and car park. Routine inspections found it was deteriorating and had reached a failing condition.

The replacement rock armour has been set deeper into the estuary channel bed, laid over geotextile matting designed to keep movement and scour to a minimum.

The site also falls within the SSSI Impact Risk Zone for the Tamar Tavy Estuary, which is designated for its biological and geological features. Rock armour was chosen as a durable, low-maintenance option that respects the site’s environmental and heritage sensitivities while keeping the waterfront open to the public.

📷The new rock armour coastal defence at Jubilee Green, Saltash. Credit: Saltash Town Council

How the work was done

The project has been delivered by Cormac on behalf of Cornwall Council, with support from the Climate Adaptation Programme.

Site set-up began on 11 May, with construction starting on 18 May on a programme of around twenty weeks. Around 4,000 tonnes of rock armour were due to be brought in by road over the course of the scheme, arriving from the A38 along Old Ferry Road in short bursts of about three days at a time.

Parking on Jubilee Green was reduced to make room for the works compound and material storage, while pedestrian, vehicle and emergency access and boat launches were kept open throughout.

📷The new rock armour coastal defence at Jubilee Green, Saltash. Credit: Saltash Town Council

What’s left, and who to ask

As the project draws to a close, Cormac has thanked everyone for their patience and support while the work has been going on.

The full update and more on the scheme are on Cornwall Council’s Jubilee Green Coastal Defence page. Anyone with questions can contact Cormac on 0300 1234 222 or email [email protected].

The last job left is out of sight, under the footway that runs along the top of the new rocks.

📷The new rock armour coastal defence at Jubilee Green, Saltash. Credit: Saltash Town Council