THE Tory shadow minister for health has pledged to support Scratby residents in their fight to save their homes from being swamped by the sea.

MP Mark Simmonds said during a visit to the village he wanted to end the uncertainty villagers were experiencing over whether sea defences protecting Scratby were going to be bolstered. (more…)

Amenities and properties situated alongside Tenby’s South Beach could face “huge uncertainty” in the future, town councillors were told this week.

Town councillors met with Pembrokeshire County Council’s officer responsible for ‘coastal protection and flood defence’, Mr. Emyr Williams, on Tuesday night, to convey the concerns they have about the erosion of beach. (more…)

Coastal campaigners from Norfolk have had an “encouraging” meeting with the man in charge of the nation’s flood defences.

A group of politicians, councillors from the north and east coasts and residents of seaside and low-lying Broads villages met Environment Agency chairman Lord Smith yesterday.

Afterwards an upbeat North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb said he was very encouraged by the comments they heard. (more…)

ECONOMICALLY important beaches in some populated parts of Devon could be lost to the sea if flood defences are retained over the next 50 years, a report suggests.

Popular coastal resorts such as Teignmouth could lose their miles of golden sand because of tidal erosion if their “hard” sea defences are maintained, according to the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) for Devon and Dorset. (more…)

RAIL bosses have denied there are any plans to redirect train lines in the short term - but did not rule out the possibility in decades to come.

Network Rail are one of the partners involved with the Shoreline Management Strategy, previewed in Exeter this week.

And, if Exmouth and Dawlish Warren’s seafronts were realigned as part of the plan to improve sea defences along the coast, there were concerns that the train lines - which run parallel to the coastline from Exeter towards Plymouth - would be affected. (more…)

A scheme to protect one of north Suffolk’s busiest stretches of road from flooding is moving nearer to realisation now that a transport minister has given the project his backing.

A £1.85m project to raise the A12 Lowestoft to Ipswich road by about a metre at Blythburgh was yesterday backed by Paul Clark, under- secretary of state for transport, when he visited Lowestoft and said bids for the work were already being considered. (more…)

From a press release on the East Devon District Council website:

EAST DEVON District Council has welcomed an “informative and thought-provoking” study* of the Exe Estuary that was previewed on Tuesday 18 November.

Councillor Graham Liverton, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder Environment, praised the study, which feeds into the South Devon and Dorset module of the national Shoreline Management Plan** (SMP), and the five stakeholder forums that will open up the issues for public debate. (more…)

QUEENS Drive could be ‘moved’ back to combat coastal erosion and rising sea levels - giving a bigger and better Exmouth beach.

In a possible glimpse of the future, scientists and engineers this week presented suggestions to tackle the ‘inevitable’ damage caused by tidal forces and climate change.

It follows a dire prediction by the Environment Agency in last week’s Journal that, in 100 years’ time, parts of Exmouth could be under three metres of flood water if nothing was done. (more…)

FINAL plans for the Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy have been drawn up.

The flood barriers at Medmerry will be moved further inland which will protect the western side of Selsey, Earnley and secure the B2145 road sewage works.

Sea defences at Selsey, East Wittering, Bracklesham and Cakeham will be strengthened as the sea levels rise. (more…)

A campaigner fighting for the right to maintain sea defences in front of a small community of clifftop homes will have to wait for a judge’s ruling.

Peter Boggis, 77, of Easton Bavents, near Southwold, has been at the High Court, in London, this week to challenge Natural England’s plans to allow erosion of the cliffs for scientific reasons.

Mr Justice Blair has now reserved judgment on the case, meaning there will be no immediate ruling. (more…)