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Your North Portsea Scheme update
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5 June 2026
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 Work is progressing well on the embankment at Ports Creek, with the team now moving into the next phase of preparing the surface for planting.
The process starts with adding a layer of topsoil, followed by geotextile, and then a further layer of topsoil. This layering helps to stabilise the embankment and provides a strong, fertile base for planting.
Soon the embankment will be hydroseeded, which is a method of planting grass and vegetation using a mixture of seed, water and nutrients. This will be sprayed evenly across the surface. It’s particularly effective on slopes like this, as it helps seeds stay in place and grow more quickly. To give the plants the best chance of success, hydroseeding is likely to take place after the summer period.
At the bottom of the embankment, the coir rolls we showed you in the last edition have now been installed. These natural fibre rolls help to prevent the newly laid topsoil from washing away, supporting the long-term stability of the area as vegetation begins to grow.
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In this photo, you can see established grass and vegetation on the right-hand side, with the geotextile laid out on the left. This is secured into the ground using U-pins, which are essentially large tent pegs to keep everything in place (the top bit hasn't been done yet).
If you look closely, you can also spot the edge of a previously installed sheet, showing how the layers overlap to create a continuous, stable surface.
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Since the last edition the haul road has now been removed, and the base layer of the path has been laid. This section will be finished off with...you guessed it...Breedon gravel! During peak construction this area would have had around 50 trucks per day driving along, and if you scroll down to the next article you'll see why we needed that haul road.
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We have had that glorious hot stretch of weather, and then a few days of rain and just look how muddy it gets in this area! The ground has a lot of clay, so it really holds the water. It does make the working conditions rather challenging - so if you can all wish for more sun, that'll be really useful for us!
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Obviously we can’t rely on sunshine forever...this is England after all! To help tackle those inevitable muddy spells, we’re putting in some woodland drainage. This will include a series of swales which are shallow, planted channels designed to slow and guide water naturally. There'll also be drainage beneath the path, you can see the exit in this photo, so any excess water can be directed safely into the moat.
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SSE are currently on site carrying out some major electrical work by the railway bridge. We’ve supported their programme by allowing them to store some of their equipment on our site to help things run a bit more smoothly.
Once they’ve completed their work, we’ll be able to move in and finish this section of the path. In the meantime, we’re making good progress on either side of the bridge while giving them the space they need to get the job done.
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Just a little reminder that there is still path improvement work happening in Milton. We will be opening sections of the path as and when they are ready to do so, we are aiming to be finished in this are by the end of June.
And work in Tipner has begun, refreshing the zig zag paths, and we aim to finish this work in July.
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