The gates at the River Brede sluice in Rye have been refurbished. Divers and a crane were involved in the operation next to Rye Harbour Road, with more work at the site expected next year.
Concerns about the Brede sluice and water levels in Rye were raised by local residents in October 2024 following the collapse of the river bank. This occurred during work on the gates by Environment Agency contractors and a period of high rainfall.
The incident prompted a public meeting in late October 2024, arranged at short notice, in the Rye Heritage Centre to enable the Environment Agency to explain the work and their plans to rectify the issues.
Since then the Agency has had contractors working on the river side of the sluice to repair the bank, to better secure the sluice gate mountings and to improve the gates themselves.
After some delays because of bad weather, a pair of refurbished gates were installed in late October.
The latter stages of the operation involved the preparation of the gate housing by divers who cleared silt and debris. A heavy crane then lifted and located the gates. A temporary threshold made of blue material will be removed later.
In 2026, further works are planned for the tidal side of the sluice, involving the refurbishment and stabilisation of those gates.
All the works will be monitored until the contractors return.
