Ceredigion County Council has finished the dredging works at Aberaeron harbour, but silt and shingle have already returned.

Work to dredge the harbour entrance began on Monday, 2 February and finished on Friday, 6 February, according to the council.

The work was to address the significant build-up of silt and shingle created inside the harbour entrance since construction began to build the new south-facing breakwater.

Harbour users described the build-up as making the entrance ‘unnavigable’, and called for the entrance to be cleared before boats returned to the harbour in spring.

However, many have pointed out that regular dredging may be needed - local Robert Farmer took comparison photos two weeks apart, showing “re-accumulation starting just two weeks after the dredging was done”.

The common south-to-north longshore drift means that the current travels northward, pushing silt and debris with it.

The new breakwater is catching the movement of shingle and silt from South Beach, which is being pushed into the harbour entrance.

One regular harbour user said: “My opinion is that the dredging is going to have to be repeated on a regular basis.

“It will be a recurring cost due entirely to the flawed design of the harbour entrance.”

The dredging work saw the shingle and silt return to the South Beach, but the council stated this was done above the water line.

One resident said they were “outraged” at the council for allowing this to happen, “and the fact that taxpayers will pay forever more”: “Somebody should be held to account.”

A spokesperson for the council said that “movement of shingle was expected following the additional 7,000m3 of material which has been placed on South Beach during the construction works”, and it would need time to settle.

They added that dredging works occurred regularly at other Ceredigion harbours.