A CONTROVERSIAL Environment Agency plan to flood land to create a wildlife habitat at Donna Nook has been approved by East Lindsey District Council.

The land in Marsh Lane in North Somercotes will see the Donna Nook-managed re-alignments scheme remove the existing flood defence and replace it with a newly improved flood defence system.

It will change the use of existing agricultural land and be used to form a new embankment to form new wildlife habitats which will include creation of intertidal habitat, islands and creeks.

The final decision made by East Lindsey District Council was a close one with the vote going six to five for the approval of the Environment Agency plans. (more…)

RESIDENTS will get a glimpse of what Sidmouth’s coastline could look like in the next 20 to 100 years next month.

Specially commissioned computer-generated images will feature in a special exhibition aimed at highlighting the causes of coastal change- and how erosion might affect the town in the future.

The event, at Kennaway House on Thursday, July 21, from 10am to 8pm, will give visitors the chance to see what Sidmouth’s Jurassic Coast may look like in 20,50 and 100 years time. (more…)

A planned “buy to lease” scheme aimed at helping seaside homeowners and communities threatened by erosion is being dropped by a coastal council.

But officials in North Norfolk are looking at other options and a campaigner says there are better ways of boosting blighted communities.

Buy to Lease was being investigated as a way of an authority purchasing properties in danger of being lost to erosion between 2025 and 2050 – and leasing them back to the owners or someone else. (more…)

A scheme to flood 300 acres of farmland in Lincolnshire has been approved by council officials.

The Environment Agency wants to allow the sea into Donna Nook, North Somercotes, as replacement wetland for habitats lost to flood defences nearby.

East Lindsey District Council planning committee approved the application at a meeting on Thursday.

The authority had rejected the plan last June following strong local opposition to the loss of land. (more…)

A £900,000 project to carry out major repair and refurbishment works on Berwick’s 200 year-old pier is about to begin.

The project is being co-ordinated by Northumberland County Council and funded by grant aid from the Environment Agency.

Harbourmaster Duncan Wood said: “I’m thrilled the work is about to start because it’s much needed. The pier is a substantial structure and if it wasn’t there it would have a terrific impact on the lower part of the river.”

The repair work will start in early July and is anticipated to be completed by the end of November. (more…)