Structural Surveys will begin on Dovercourt’s Lower Leading Light

Work to assess the condition of Dovercourt’s lower Leading Light will begin this week. Scaffolding will be erected by Tendring District Council (TDC) contractors to allow specialists access to the heritage building in Dovercourt Bay.

Due to the location of the historic lighthouse in the bay itself the work will take some time as the building can only be accessed during low tide when the causeway is uncovered. The aim is to complete the works before the Easter holidays, but as with any such project this is dependent on weather conditions and no unforeseen issues.

Works being carried out include pest control activity to tackle pigeons, an asbestos survey and the condition survey itself. A condition survey has already been completed on the shore-based Leading Light.

Although the number of people visiting the lighthouse at this time of year is minimal, the public are being warned to stay away from the building while the scaffolding is in place and work is ongoing.

Mick Skeels, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said this was an important piece of work.

“The Leading Lights are an iconic part of the Dovercourt Bay landscape, often featuring in photographs and artwork of the area,” Cllr Skeels said. “It is therefore important that we look after them, and this survey will inform future discussions with Historic England about their future. I would reiterate the warning for people not to be tempted to climb on the scaffolding, as you would not with any other building site. I would also like to thank the seafronts team for their hard work in pulling together what is quite a complex project involving several specialist contractors and tide times and heights.”