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Latest Pictures Or News
22 February 05
North Pier Nearing Completion
30 December 04
North Pier Work Still Progressing
Storm Finally Hits Home 15 October 2004
North Pier Work 12 October 2004
North Pier Work 29 September 2004
North Pier Work 19 July 2004
North Pier Work 12 July 2004
1 July 04
North Pier Wick Harbour - £3 million Repair Work Well
Underway
27 February 04
Big Crane Arrives For North Pier
Protection
Work At Wick Harbour
 Another
large crane has arrive at Wick Harbour ready
to begin work on the £2.9 million works to
protect and repair the North Pier. the
contract awarded to Currie Brothers of
Orkney will take up to 36 weeks to complete.
Fabrication of large sections will be
undertaken in Orkney and sent over to be
lifted into place by the crane. 6500
tonnes of rock will be delivered over the
next few months to be dropped into place to
add further stability and protection to the
pier which has been showing signs of
collapse in recent years.
25
February 04
CAITHNESS HARBOUR PROJECT
GETS UNDER WAY
A major project to reduce the risk of flooding and damage to Wick
Harbour and lower Wick is under way at a cost of £2.9 million.
Councillors & Officials See Area
Before Work Begins
The Highland Council
has awarded a contract to Orkney-based Currie Brothers to reinforce
the North River Pier and protect the harbour and river from easterly
gales combined with high tides, which create damaging waves within
the harbour and river and can undermine the seawalls and properties
adjacent to the harbour.
Thurso consultants,
Arch Henderson, have designed and are supervising the 28-week
contract, which should be completed by the autumn.
The contractors have
begun work offsite on the construction of precast concrete panels
and work on site will be evident in the near future.
Work has already
been completed on strengthening the South River Pier at a similar
cost. Funding, via a coastal protection grant of £1.8 million,
has been attracted from the Scottish Executive in recognition of the
importance to the town of the coastal protection work at the North
River Pier. The Council is meeting the balance of the costs.
Damage caused by the
waves within the inner section of the harbour is evident at
Scalesburn Road and at the Camps Car Park, where four car parking
spaces are out of commission. he estimated cost of the protection of
the harbour wall on Scalesburn Road is £150,000. The Council is
working in partnership with local businessman, Mr John Sutherland,
who has plans to build a hotel and car park in this area, which
would require construction of a new wall further out into the
harbour.
A contract for
£20,000 has been awarded to local contractor, A.W. Sutherland for
repairs to Camps Car Park. Councillor Charlie King, Chairman
of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community
Services, visited the harbour area on Monday after meeting with
members of the Council’s Caithness Area Committee.
He said: “The North
and South Wick Harbour River Piers form an essential part of the
coastal protection of both the harbour and lower Wick town and
robust defences against the easterly gales are very important if we
are to prevent extensive flooding and damage.
“The Scottish
Executive provided grant aid for the South Pier and is now assisting
with the North Pier and this work, costing a total of more than £5
million, should go a long way to securing the safety of the harbour
area and the town itself.
“We are also well
advanced on proposed improvements at Scalesburn Road and the Camps
Car Park.” The Highland Council’s Caithness Area Convener,
Councillor David Flear said: “I am delighted that such a major
investment is being made in Wick to protect the harbour and the
lower town from the damaging waves that result from the easterly
gales.”
27
November 03
WICK NORTH PIER FUTURE SECURED
 Funding
from the Scottish Executive to better protect Wick from coastal
flooding has been welcomed by The Highland Council today.
The
River Piers in Wick play an important role in protecting the lower
lying parts of the town from coastal flooding. The improvements will
enable the Council to strengthen the North Pier which has suffered
from erosion and storm damage in recent years. The total cost of the
protection works will be £3.1 million and the balance will met from
Council funds.
Convener of The Highland Council’s Caithness Area Committee,
Councillor David Flear said: "I am glad that we are getting this
money and look forward to further funding for the
South
Pier. I welcome the commitment from the Scottish Executive and hope
that the Wick Harbour Trust will look positively on this grant and
look forward to working with the Scottish Executive and The Highland
Council to bring forward this modernisation programme."
Local
Highland Councillor Graeme Smith said: "I welcome this commitment to
spend by the Scottish Executive and hopefully this will sort out the
North River Pier for many years to come. We still have an important
job to do with the South River Pier but this is less of an immediate
issue."
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Final Repair Work 14 February 03
Calm Day - Damage Continues
9 February 2003
North Pier Repair Holding 17
December 2002
13 Dec 02
Scottish Executive To Help With Damage Costs
A delegation from Wick Harbour Trust met with
Fisheries Minister Ross Finnie and relieved to be given a lifeline
of support in getting an agreement to assistance with repairs caused
by the recent bad weather that has repeatedly hit Wick Harbour in
recent weeks.
Damage has been caused all round the harbour not least to various
parts of piers and walls. But not seen is the movement of
tetrapods that protect parts of the outer walls on one side of the
harbour. Some of the tetrapods have been moved away from their
protective positions leaving the walls more vulnerable to the heavy
seas recently seen.
Problems with ongoing financial concerns will have to be the subject
of separate negotiations and even legislation as Trusts such as wick
Harbour Trust are getting into difficulties as they see their income
decline in the face of not being a designated landing port under EU
rules.
Holes Getting Bigger 9
December 2002
 No
official word yet on possible action.
No Let Up To Damage To Sea Walls
7 December 2002
 Day
by day the sea is eating away along the whole length of the harbour walls
from the Camps Car Park out to the Old Dry Dock
Another Hole In The Wall - Camps Car Park
5 December 2002
 The
corner of the Camps Car Park has developed a serious hole in the wall.
Part of the car park is now cordoned off in case of collapse. The
sea is now undermining the car park in the latest breach in the harbour
walls.
 4 December 2002
Damage continues
Old Dry Dock Sustains Major Damage
24 November 2002
 The
corner of the Old Dry dock at Wick harbour is collapsing under the
constant pounding of the last two weeks. A large section has collapsed
and the corner is ready to give way.
North Pier - Working From Dawn To Dusk
9 November 2002
 Work went
on all day on Saturday 9 November 2002 to fill the hole in the north pier
with aggregate. The repairs are temporary and it is hoped that this will
hold things until next spring when bigger works may start. 200 tonnes of
aggregate were being put into place prior to concrete being put on top
next week. The hole in the pier low down below the water is still there
and might possibly lead to further damage but this was the best option in
the time available. Highland Council agreed to fund the repairs as the
Wick Harbour Trust does not have the funds to do the work.
Highland Council Makes Temporary Repairs
8 November
2002
 Highland
Council agreed to make investigations into the damage sustained at the
pier at Wick Harbour and to put in place some temporary remedial work.
Council workmen and engineers were on site and expected to have to
work over the weekend to complete. Major works are required to safeguard
the pier for the future but it will not be possible to start this until at
least next spring as winter weather will make it too difficult.
North Pier, Damaged In Weekend Storm
5 November 2002
 The north pier at Wick sustained major damage
with a large hole appearing in the top having been punched from underneath
by the huge tidal surges and storm that affected the whole harbour area.
The large hole in the surface concrete is clear to see but what is not
known is how the storm has affected the rest of the concrete along the
length of the pier and what if any damage has been sustained by the main
wall.
Some work was carried out on the pier in a first stage that was to have
continued last year. The second stage of remedial work was not carried
out and the worst fears of some folk may now begin to be realised over the
coming winter with many more storms yet to come. Last winter may not have
been as bad as might have been expected and saved the pier from the damage
that some have been predicting and which seems now to be underway.
The entrance to the outer harbour is also suspect as the end of the piers
are apparently undermined and require work to prevent collapse. Time may
be running out as more damage can happen at any storm if it takes the same
direction as the one that occurred at the weekend.
Businesses in the harbour area took no chances and put up the sandbags
just in case there was a repeat of the storm. Luckily things have calmed
down and there was no heavy weather. The road at the Shore has been
completely cleared and reopened. Material that was often moved back at
the edge of shore street has this time been removed to prevent it being
thrown up onto the road again.
The main concern of people with low lying properties is when there will be
another big storm and will the pier stay in place. People whose
grandparents have long memories remember that the wick river used to flood
far up river when the sea was pushed in by storms. Even as far up as the
Safeways supermarket was in the past flooded.
Te surges of water coming into Wick Bay are held back by the pier. From
time to time it is possible to see the waves running up the Wick river but
they generally lose their force before they reach the main bridge at
Bridge Street. The question on everyone's lips is - "Is that about to
change in one catastrophic episode at another storm?" Certainly there
were many folk out at 1.00am the other night watching the storm at its
height wondering if this was the night. There was damage to the pier and
walls along Shore street but fortunately not the worst scenario of total
collapse.
Other Damage and Clearing Up Pictures |