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Leave crumbling coast to the sea, shore plan urges
NATURE will continue to take its course along vast swathes of the Holderness coast for the next century under controversial new proposals.
Consultation started yesterday on a "no active intervention" policy for much of East Yorkshire's fast crumbling coastline, outside settlements and towns which will continue to be defended.
The number two shoreline management plan – which cost more than 300,000 – draws strikingly similar conclusions to a report 10 years ago and has already attracted criticism from some local residents who say the money would have been better spent on helping those who face losing their homes.
Aldbrough is among the villages where a policy of "no active intervention" is being advocated until 2105.
Aldbrough parish councillor Mark Teale said: "It would have been far more useful to spend that money improving the lives of those who are suffering rather than paying highly paid people to write the report.
"The money would have gone some way to subsidising a rollback programme."
Fisherman Derek Crook, who lost his home at Tunstall to coastal erosion and lives in a caravan yards from the cliff edge, said: "Rather than telling us what we already know, the 300,000 could have gone to the people who've lost land and houses as a bit of compensation."
The MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, said: "This plan is going to be going out to public consultation and I would urge everyone who has any interest in the future of the area to attend one of the events which will be held and make their feelings known.
"I look forward to meeting with the local authority, the Environment Agency and Natural England to discuss the plan.
"While I fully understand many people will see the entire Shoreline Management Plan as a complete waste of money, it must be remembered this is now part of an ongoing process – there will be future such plans and the more often they happen the better we will all be able to assess what action needs to be taken by future generations."
The report, covering the coastline between Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire and Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire, says the current defence line will be held at Bridlington, Hornsea, Mappleton and Withernsea, as well as at the Dimlington and Easington gas terminals. One difference from the earlier SMP is that it proposes managing the problem of "outflanking" caused by the sea cutting in round the edge of defences at the the three major towns by building additional defences.
Spurn Point, where the country's only full-time lifeboat station is based, would only get intervention to maintain access.
The draft says defending the whole coast would stop coarse sand and gravel eroded from the cliffs being carried southwards to maintain Spurn Head, which in turn protects Grimsby and Cleethorpes as well as building up the mudflat buffers protecting settlements and land along the Humber estuary.
Fine sand travelling across the Humber also builds up the wide sandy beaches of Lincolnshire, a natural coastal defence.
The east coast is the fastest-eroding coastline in western Europe, disappearing at a rate of seven feet a year to the south of Hornsea. Less than six miles have sea defences.
East Riding Council's director of planning and economic regeneration, Alan Menzies, said defending the whole coast would be "unfundable and impractical".
He urged residents and businesses to get involved by attending one of the consultation events, writing or e-mailing the council.
The first of the events is at Skeffling Village Hall on December 8. This is followed by Shores Centre, Withernsea, on December 10; Hornsea Floral Hall on December 14; Bridlington Spa on December 15.
For more information visit www.hecag-smp2.co.uk/
Main points of plan add up to very little
The SMP2 proposes:
"No active intervention" from Flamborough to Sewerby until 2105, but work will be permitted to ensure the RNLI Station at South Landing continues to operate.
Defence works may be needed at Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea to manage outflanking – caused when the sea cuts in round the edge of defences.
Wilsthorpe to Atwick: "no active intervention" until 2105
Rolston to Waxholme: "no active intervention" until 2105. However works may be needed on the Tunstall Drain.
The current defence line will be held between Easington Road and Stone Creek. There may be limited managed realignment "to ensure sustainable flood defences and meet the requirements of environmental legislation."
East Immingham to Cleethorpes: The defences will stay in their current position.
Seacroft to Gibralter Point: The long term policy is "conditional".
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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