Saturday 19 April 2008

Natural England boss breaks cover

Martin Doughty from Natural England spells out the rationale behind proposals to abandon coastal defences and allow the Upper Thurne and its broads to be flooded by the sea on the Guardian's website.

His post has already attracted some telling comments.

Click here to read it.

Broads Society response to flooding plan

Below is the Broads Society's statement in full on Natural England's proposals to abandon coastal defences and allow the Upper Thurne and its broads to be flooded by the sea.

An online petition on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website now numbers more than 1300 signatures. Click here to join them.

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The Broads Society has been extremely concerned to learn that three of the four options for dealing with coastal erosion being considered by Natural England would, if adopted, lead to 16,000 acres of land around the River Thurne becoming an embayment of the North Sea. It also has considerable reservations about the remaining option under discussion.

Instead, the Society is outlining a fifth option, calling for:

- the Government to provide the Environment Agency with the funding it needs to fulfil its commitment to continue feeding the beach in front of the sea wall between Eccles and Winterton, with sand and shingle

- the Environment Agency to commission a wide-ranging study into ways in which the sea wall there can be strengthened, or otherwise protected, thus ensuring that it remains in a sustainable condition for much longer than is deemed possible at the moment.

Martin George, a committee member of the Society, said: "The area that would be lost under three of the four proposals is an integral part of the Broads, a region that has been afforded the status of a national park, and the Society considers it completely unacceptable to allow part of it to become an open estuary. He continued: "If any of these three proposals were adopted, it would result in:

-The loss of several hundred residential properties.

-The destruction of Hickling Broad, Horsey Mere - a National Trust-owned broad - Heigham Sound and Martham North and South Broads.

-The loss of several thousand acres of farm land, at a time of the growing world-wide food shortages.

-The destruction of valuable and fragile plant and animal life, including: reed and saw-sedge fen, the habitat of the Bittern, Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Swallowtail butterfly no fewer than nine species of moth listed in the Red Data Books as being nationally rare, vulnerable or endangered.

The other option under consideration would involve the creation of a new line of sea defences to the rear of the existing seawall and sand dunes and would minimise the amount of land and property which would have to be surrendered to the sea, as well as safeguard Hickling Broad. This national nature reserve is the largest open water in the region and is much used for tourism and recreation.

But although this option has obvious socio-economic and ecological advantages, the Society has many reservations about it, not least the likelihood that it would prove to be both extremely costly, and intrusive visually in such an open landscape.

In this respect, the Society considers it unfortunate that in drawing up its report, Natural England seems to have made the assumption that it will not be practicable to continue to maintain the integrity of the existing line of defences between Eccles and Winterton.

The Society does not accept that this is necessarily the case.

Dr George added: "We believe that it could well prove less expensive to provide the sea wall which currently fronts this section of coast with additional protection against the scouring effects of the sea than to construct a completely new line of defences to the rear.

We believe that this issue needs to be subject to a full-scale investigation. Such a study should also include an examination of the role currently being played by the nine offshore reefs which were constructed in the vicinity of Sea Palling some 15 to 20 years ago.

We are aware of studies which have demonstrated that the sand spits ('tombolos') which have developed behind these reefs are now shutting off the supply of sediment to the coast to the south, and thus increasing the vulnerabilty of the sea wall between Eccles and Winterton to two of the known effects of Climate Change i.e. rising sea levels and an increase in the storminess of the North Sea."


Ends

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Background:-

The Thurne Catchment, an integral part of the Broads, is currently protected by a sea wall which was constructed after the 1953 floods; the wall is backed by a line of sand dunes. The steel piles supporting the wall are founded in the clay underlying the beach. It is important that this clay remains covered by beach material (i.e. sand and shingle) since it is very soft, and subject to rapid erosion if exposed to wave and/or tidal action. If this was allowed to continue, the clay around the piles would be washed away, thus allowing sea water to get under the wall, and at the same time subjecting the latter to stresses which it is not designed to withstand. If this situation was allowed to continue, there is a real risk of the section of wall in question collapsing. In these circumstances, the dunes behind would be subject to rapid erosion, and ultimately washed away.

Beach material is always subject to some movement as a result of the effects of waves and tides, and in the section of coast between Happisburgh and Winterton, it would seem that its susceptibility to being washed away is being affected by a gradual steepening of the beach profile, an increase in the storminess of the North Sea, and a gradual rise in the level of the sea relative to that of the land. All three of these factors appear to be linked to the phenomenon of Climate Change.

To make good the losses of beach material fronting the sea wall, the Environment Agency has over the past ten years or so been using sand and gravel dredged from offshore to replace the missing material. However, the perceived wisdom at the moment is that this may not be practicable after about 2050 as a consequence of the continued steepening of the beach.

The Natural England seminar on Feb. 18:-

This seminar was convened by Natural England (NE) to consider how the ecology and landscape of the Broads might be affected by Climate Change, and what steps could be taken to mitigate the likely effects of this phenomenon. In addition to NE staff, those present included personnel from the Broads Authority, Environment Agency, the Broads Internal Drainage Board, Norfolk CC, the RSPB, and the Norfolk and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts. A report setting out NE's preliminary views on the subject was pre-circulated to those participating at the seminar. This document was sub-divided into two sections, the first dealing with the main part of the Broads (i.e. the valleys of the Bure, Ant, Yare and Waveney) while the other dealt with the Thurne Catchment. This Press Notice and the Notes for Editors is solely concerned with the latter.

Rather surprisingly given the controversial nature of the report's contents, it was not marked confidential. In the circumstances, it was leaked by an unknown person or organisation to Eastern Counties Newspapers, who summarised it in an article published in the EDP on March the 28th. Since then there has been a public furore, the main controversy resulting from the fact that very few of the hundreds of people living in the Thurne Catchment, were aware of the options under consideration at the seminar. These were, in brief:-

Option 1. Do nothing. Let nature take its course. Accept that one or more sections of the sea wall between Eccles and Winterton wold be breached as a result of neglect, thus converting the entire Catchment into an embayment of the North Sea.

Option 2. Hold the line. Maintain the sea wall, but accept that increasing quantities of sea water would sooner or later find its way underneath it, and that it would, as a consequence, ultimately collapse. This option, too, would result in the entire catchment developing into an embayment of the sea. In addition, it should be noted that both options 1 and 2 would result in sea water finding its way into the main part of the Broads via the Rivers Thurne and Ant.

Option 3. Adapt the line. Re-align the coast over time by allowing inundation to occur in some places, and building one or more barriers/embankments to limit tidal incursion in others. In practice, this would mean creating a new sea wall, or earthen bank a few hundred metres to the rear of the existing dunes. It is impossible to predict exactly where such a line of defences would be created, nor whether it could be discontinuous, or built in the form of a more or less continuous line between Eccles and Winterton.

Option 4. Retreated defence. The entire Thurne Catchment, including Hickling and Martham Broads, and Horsey Mere, becomes a c.16,000 acre embayment of the sea. Before this was allowed to happen, dams would have to be built at Potter Heigham and between Catfield and Stalham to prevent sea water from the embayment finding its way into the rest of Broadland.

Finally, it is essential to bear in mind that no one has suggested that any of these options be adopted until it becomes apparent that the existing sea wall cannot be maintained any longer in the face of the effects of Climate Change.

The Broads Society:-

The Broads Society was founded in 1956, and is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of all aspects of Broadland - navigation, recreation and the environment. We were closely involved in the discussions leading up to the formation of the Broads Authority, the statutory body responsible for the management of the region, and as a voluntary body with a membership of some 1600, we have worked tirelessly over the years to safeguard the interests of those who visit the region, or live and work in it.

Thursday 17 April 2008

Army chief joins battle for the Broads

Britain's top soldier who has spent a lifetime defending Queen and country today fired a broadside at proposals to allow parts of the Norfolk Broads to be flooded by the sea.

Government conservation group Natural England is behind proposals to abandon coastal defences and allow the North Sea to claim the Upper Thurne and its broads.

If adopted, the plan would spell the end for six coastal villages and internationally-important nature reserves like Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere.

In an interview with the Eastern Daily Press newspaper today General Sir Richard Dannatt, who is the head of the British Army, said: “I think it would be a tragedy if we allowed that area to be given up and inundated.

“I think to give up a great chunk of Norfolk to the sea without a fight is something I find quite counter-intuitive and quite difficult to do.

“I really think we should continue to invest in the sea defences around there, I think it would be a tragedy to lose a wonderful area of the county by allowing the sea in without a fight. After all, the Dutch manage to achieve this perfectly well so why can't we do this on our side of the North Sea.”

Click here to read the EDP interview in full.

Click here to sign the online petition to save them.

Society condemns Broads flooding plan

The government must continue to fund coastal defence projects to prevent the "completely unacceptable" loss of 25 square miles of the Broads to the sea.

That was the plea from the 1600-strong Broads Society today, which said it was "extremely concerned" to learn of proposals being considered by government conservation advisers Natural England to abandon coastal defences and allow the Upper Thurne and its broads to flood.

It came as an online Save the Broads petition, on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website, clocked up more then 1200 signatures.

Click here to read more on the Broads Society's response.

Click here to read today's Great Yarmouth Mercury story on the latest.

Click here to sign the online petition.

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Fresh thinking over future of the Broads

A new option to save the Upper Thurne and its broads has been proposed by the influential Broads Society.

It says plans to abandon coastal defences and allow an eighth of the total area of the Norfolk broads to be flooded by the sea are "completely unacceptable".

It is calling for a new line of sea defences to be established to protect vital freshwater habitats, six villages and thousands of hectares of farmland.

Click here to read a BBC report.

Save the Broads - questions and answers

Today's Eastern Daily Press has a useful piece on Q&As regarding the threat to the Upper Thurne and its broads.

Click here to read it.

It comes as an online Save the Broads petition on Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website tops 1100 signatures, including East Anglian Euro MP Tom Wise.

Click here to join them.

Monday 14 April 2008

Save the Broads petition nudges 1000

Nearly 1000 people have signed up to an online petition to Save the Broads, which has become one of the fastest-growing on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website.

Click here to join them, as calls grow for a public debate over proposals so far discussed in secret which would see the loss on around an eighth of the entire area of the Broads.

Friday 11 April 2008

Why so defeatist, asks the Indie

A trenchant piece in the Independent asks why are government agencies so defeatist over the threat to the Broads. Click here to read it.

It comes as the online petition to Save the Broads nears 1,000 signatures. Click here to sign it.

Thursday 10 April 2008

MP calls for debate on future of the Broads

Campaigners have challenged government agencies behind proposals to abandon the Upper Thurne and its Broads.

More than 400 people attended a public meeting in Potter Heigham last night. MP Norman Lamb said it was essential that there was a full and public debate over the proposals.

Today an online petition to save the Broads on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website clocked up its 800th signature.

Natural England, the Environment Agency and Broads Authority met in secret last month to discuss the impact of climate change on the Broads. Documents leaked to the media showed proposals to abandon sea defences, allowing Horsey Mere, Hickling Broad, the Martham Broads and Hiehgam Sound to be flooded by the North Sea.

Click here for the full story. Click here to sign the petition to Save the Broads.

Monday 7 April 2008

We won't surrender the Broads - pledge

Norfolk County Council today pledged it would fight for Government funding to protect the Broads from flooding.

Natural England and the Broads Authority have discussed plans to abandon coastal defences and allow the Upper Thurne to be flooded by the sea.

The move would mean the end for Horsey Mere, Hickling Broad, Heigham Sound and the Martham broads - along with six coastal villages, internationally-important nature reserves and thousands of hectares of farmland.

Nearly 700 people have signed an online petition, on Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website, to save the Broads. Click here to join them.

Today Ian Monson, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for the environment, said the authority would press the case that the land is worth defending on social, economic and environmental grounds. Click here for more.

Friday 4 April 2008

Tough choices over Broads - minister

Environment Minister Hilary Benn says some areas of our coastline may need to be surrendered to climate change.

Click here.

Click here to sign our petition to save the broads.

Thursday 3 April 2008

Public meetings over threat to Broads

Public meetings are being held in villages threatened by plans to abandon sea defences.

Some of Britain's finest pike fisheries and internationally important nature reserves would also be lost if proposals to allow the sea to flood the Upper Thurne and its broads get the go-ahead.

Tonight the Coastal Concern Action group said: "In view of the confusion, fear and adverse effect on property caused by the recent proposals by Natural England which seek to allow the sea to take over some 25square miles of the upper Thurne region and the consequential loss of six villages CCAG has arranged a short series of public meetings in the affected area.
The meeting locations and times are as follows:

* Tuesday 8th April Hickling Community Hall at 7:30pm
* Wednesday 9th April Potter Heigham Village Hall at 7:30pm
* Tuesday 15th April Sea Palling Village Hall at 7:30pm

Norman Lamb MP will attend each of the meetings. CCAG's Malcolm Kerby has called these meetings to give the people a voice that their views may be carried to the very heart of Government."

Nearly 600 people have signed an online petition against the plans. Click here to join them.

Wednesday 2 April 2008

Save the Broads raised in Parliament

An MP today asked the Government for assurances it would continue funding sea defences which protect the Norfolk Broads.

But Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb said he was disappointed by its response to a parliamentary question.

The North Norfolk MP raised the issue during Prime Minister's Questions, which was taken by Commons Leader Harriet Harman.

He asked for assurances that defences protecting the Upper Thurne and its Broads would be maintained.

Last week, it emerged proposals to abandon defences had been discussed by Natural England, the Broads Authority and the Environment Agency.

If put into action, the plan would mean Hickling Broad, Horsey Mere, Heigham Sound and the Martham broads would be flooded by the sea. Six villages and thousands of hectares of farmland would also be lost under the proposals.

But Ms Harman stopped short of giving any assurances. Instead, she said ministers were working to ensure "the right way forward".

Mr Lamb, who said he was disappointed at the response, is calling for Environment Minister Hilary Benn to visit Norfolk to see for himself the area which would be affected by the plan.

Nearly 600 people have signed a petition calling for defences to be maintained. Click here to join them.

Save the Broads petition tops 500

More than 500 people have now signed an online petition on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's 10 Downing Street website, against proposals to allow the Upper Thurne and its broads to be flooded by the sea.

Plans to abandon coastal defences were discussed at a secret meeting by Natural England, the Broads Authority, Norfolk County Council and the Envrionment Agency.

Horsey Mere, Hickling Broad, the Martham broads and Heigham sound would be lost - along with six coastal villages and thousands of hectares of farmland.

Click here to sign the petition against these plans.