WORKS to protect 65 homes in West Wittering from flooding in the future are going ‘full steam ahead’, the Environment Agency has said.

Residents and the community in the Witterings managed to raise an incredible £150,000 to help pay for the defence works.

The homes will be protected by raising the current embankment on the shore with clay. Preparation construction works have started but will not be implemented on the beach until April when birds stop nesting there.

Andrew Gilham of the Environment Agency (EA) said: “We imported 10,000 tonnes of clay at the end of last year. We got it in early so we were ready to start works as soon as possible, once the birds have finished nesting. We expect them to leave the site in early April.

“It’s full steam ahead for the main construction works. Over the last couple of months we held public exhibitions showing the designs. Feedback has been used to help shape the final decision.”

Plans to improve the sea defences at West Wittering is part of the Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy. It was decided that 65 homes in West Wittering were at risk from flooding unless they were strengthened and improved. The works had to get permission from Chichester District Council and were supported by West Wittering Parish Council.

Story in the Chichester Observer

A £400,000 scheme to protect a vulnerable stretch of Suffolk coastline has finished ahead of schedule.

The second phase of the project at Thorpeness involved nearly 2,000 fabric bags filled with sand and shingle being used to strength the defences.

The defences at the northern end of the village are being reconstructed and strengthened after damage caused by storms in June last year.

The work was made possible by a partnership involving Suffolk Coastal District Council, the Environment Agency and local residents.

Andy Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: “It is great that the £400,000 second phase scheme has completed its main and hugely important task of repairing and strengthening the damaged existing defences, so reducing the immediate threat to local homes from coastal erosion.

“Most of the funding is from the Government via the Environment Agency, with the remainder coming from this council and most importantly local residents, as without their £137,000 commitment the scheme would not have got financial backing from the Government.

A total of 1,856 bags were needed – 200 fewer than estimated – and the work, carried out by J Breheny Contractors Ltd, finished two weeks ahead of schedule. There will now be additional repair work to the gabions which could extend into February.

The work involved bags being laid eight to 10 layers deep on more than one-and-a-half square miles of geo-fabric, creating a 600ft toe-shaped structure that will provide vital support to the existing rock- filled wire basket revetment.

Charles Beardall, area manager for the Environment Agency, said: “We are delighted that this important scheme is progressing well. The local community are to be commended for the vital part that they have played in making this scheme possible.”

Because the area is still a
construction site, the fencing will have to remain up over the Christmas period and closed to public access.

Story by Jonathan Barnes on the Coastal Scene website

A holiday park in Selsey has put forward plans to make changes to its sea defence works.

Bunn Leisure is privately funding a £15m scheme at West Sands Caravan Park to protect its business and the west side of Selsey.

The original plans were granted planning permission in 2009 but Bunn wants to change the type of rock, profiling and footprint of the breakwaters, as well as change the source of shingle for a beach recharge.

It also will make minor changes to construction and programme for the planned works.

It has done this to match the works that will be carried out by the Environment Agency (EA) for the nearby Medmerry realignment scheme.

Mike Caven, operations director at Bunn Leisure, said: “We are working very closely with the EA and tweaking our plans to make sure both our schemes go together. It is joined-up thinking.”

It is believed Bunn’s scheme is the first privately-funded sea defence scheme in the UK.

Mr Caven added: “We’ve been working with the EA for the last two years to protect the business and protect the jobs.”

Construction of the sea defences at West Sands has been delayed to ensure it is parallel with the permitted Medmerry realignment scheme.

This scheme involves moving the sea coast boundaries further inland to create a unique marsh land space for habitats while at the same time protecting homes from being flooded in the future. It forms part of the EA’s Pagham to East Head coastal defence strategy.

Selsey councillor and sea defence campaigner Roland O’Brien said: “Thank goodness Bunn Leisure can and will invest in this new coastal defence.

“Apart from protecting the caravan park, the works also protect a large section of the western part of the town from coastal flooding.

“And from what I’ve seen of the plans, the new defence will enhance Selsey’s coastline, for visitors and residents alike.”

To view the plans quote the planning application reference number SY/09/01894/FUL

Story in the Chichester Observer

Residents in Shotley have been praised for helping to raise more than £100,000 to protect their coastline.

The Shotley Stour Footpath Renovation Group worked with local councils, businesses and environment groups to arrange the coastal erosion defence.

The group also oversaw the renovation of a picnic area at Shotley Gate.

South Suffolk MP Tim Yeo, Conservative, said: “It’s a remarkable achievement for a place of this size to bring together so many organisations.”

Gary Richens, Shotley parish councillor and chairman of the Shotley Stour Footpath Renovation Group, said: “We put a tremendous amount of work into putting erosion protection to the whole of Shotley cliff.

“Three years ago we set up a community group to see how we could raise money for this.

Wildlife concerns

“We very quickly found that by working with the statutory organisations who have an interest down here – the Environment Agency, Suffolk Coast and Heaths, Haven Gateway Partnership, Hutchison Ports – when we got our heads together they were actually happy to come in and fund some of the work we were doing.

“It’s a very sensitive, ecological site.

“There is an RSPB reserve right on the edge of the cliff and we have to be mindful that whatever we do we don’t disturb those birds.”

Mr Yeo said the government would not have much money available to spend on coastal erosion projects in the next few years.

“My work in Parliament suggests the only solution is to engage local communities,” he said.

“Government is always much more willing to provide support when they see the community also pulling their weight – that way you can join funds from other bodies, but the main spring of this has to be the effort made by the local community.

“I’m sure this will be an inspiration for other communities who are faced with the threat of erosion, when they see what can be done by a group of really determined and energetic people.”

Story on the BBC News website

A fund worth more than £23.7m for the UK’s coastal communities has been announced by Chancellor George Osborne.

The fund represents half of the gross revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities.

The Scottish government has said the announcement does not go nearly far enough in returning money to the areas where it is raised.

The Highlands will receive £1.85m from the fund, with £2.05m for the rest of Scotland.

The UK government has said the announcement underlines its commitment to coastal communities.

Charities, businesses and social enterprises have been encouraged to submit “innovative” bids for a share of the resources being directed to what is being called the Coastal Communities Fund.

It will open in April 2012.

Mr Osborne said: “I know that coastal communities play a vital role in the wellbeing of the whole country and I am glad that we can provide support for them through this new fund.”

The share of funding has been linked to the revenues raised in each country of the UK.Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s Rural Affairs and the Environment minister, said it was good that the UK government had finally woken up to the SNP’s demands but the measure did not go “nearly far enough”.

He added: “Scotland should benefit from 100% of Crown Estate revenues, not 50%.

“Full devolution of Crown Estate would give the people of Scotland a say in how public assets are used, rather than leaving decisions to the unelected commissioners who manage the Crown Estate.

“In recent months we have provided the secretary of state for Scotland with two detailed papers setting out the clear and rational case for change.

“However, despite this, Scottish ministers were not consulted on these latest, timid proposals. If UK ministers had had the courtesy to do so they would have been informed that these proposals are clearly inadequate.

“Under these plans Crown Estate revenues would still go south to Her Majesty’s Treasury, with Scotland only getting half of our entitlement.”

‘Pot of cash’

The Crown Estate manages about half of the UK’s foreshore and all of the seabed within 12 nautical miles of shore.

Offshore wind turbines have been a growing source of revenue in recent years.

The Crown Estate has granted permission to 10 developers planning to establish offshore renewal projects in Scottish waters.

Scottish Labour’s Tom Greatrex MP welcomed the scheme, saying he hoped to see “this pot of cash grow and grow and help more and more coastal communities”.

He added: “The last thing communities want is money going to Holyrood without any guarantee of it going to affected communities.

“As well as charities, businesses and social enterprises it is important that local councils are eligible to apply to the fund too.”

Story on the BBC News website

Coastal communities across the region could soon bid for a slice of government money to help rejuvenate their area, it emerged last night.

The chancellor of the exchequer and chief secretary to the treasury will today announce the launch of a Coastal Communities Fund, which will support a wide range of projects.

The multi-million-pound fund is designed to support the economic development of coastal communities and will be available on a bid basis.

Malcolm Kerby, from the Coastal Concern Action Group, has said the money could give a real boost to the region’s coastal communities.

He said: “This is an excellent move because it seems coastal communities are always left at the back of the queue in terms of obtaining funding.

“Coastal communities nationally have been run down for quite a while with greater deprivation than in urban areas so anything that can help address this imbalance has to be welcomed.

“I would urge any coastal community in this region to make sure they talk to their local representatives and work together to get a slice of this money.”

Examples of what communities can bid for include support for developing renewable energy, improving skills or environmental safeguarding or improvement.

The Coastal Communities Fund will be financed by the government through the allocation of funding equivalent to 50pc of the revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities. In April 2012, there will be £23.7m available in the fund.

The chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, said: “This new funding shows that the government is committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring that they benefit from the revenue that our coasts and the Crown Estate produce.”

North Norfolk MP, Norman Lamb, said he was excited by the Coastal Communities Fund.

He said: “A number of years ago I put in a Freedom of Information request to the Crown Estate to establish how much income they were getting from Norfolk through dredging, and it was substantial. “If the fund is going to look to benefit communities close to where Crown Estate marine activities are taking place, Norfolk should benefit significantly from it.”

Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis also welcomed the move. He said: “This can be a great boost to charities. The third sector is especially strong in coastal towns with their areas of deprivation and there are 197 registered charities in Yarmouth.”

The fund will open for business in April 2012 and further details on how to apply to the fund will be published shortly.

Story by David Blackmore in the Eastern Daily Press

Posted on Damian Carrington’s Environment Blog on the Guardian website

More flood and coastal erosion defence projects across England will receive government money each year under a new funding system announced today.

The new system provides money based on the benefits each project delivers to homes, businesses, agricultural land and infrastructure. Many schemes will still receive full Government funding, whilst others will qualify for a contribution to the final cost.  In many cases this government contribution will be worth 80 to 90 per cent of the full scheme cost.

This will replace the current model where schemes applying for money are typically either funded in full by Government or not at all.

Payment rates from Government will be highest in areas most at risk from flooding and in the most deprived areas of the country, meaning that schemes in these areas are more likely to qualify for full funding.  Environmental benefits achieved by schemes will also help boost the amount of funding the scheme receives.

Under the new scheme each area will have a lot more influence over which projects go ahead because decisions will be made at a local level by regional committees who can better decide where government funding is most needed.

Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:

“This new funding system means more flood defence schemes will benefit from Government money so we can protect more people and properties. Many schemes in areas at high risk will continue to receive full funding from government, whilst others will receive large contributions that will go a long way towards meeting the amount needed for the defence to be built.

“Where additional contributions are needed, we will be working in partnership with local communities to find ways of securing private investment from those who will benefit from the added protection. This will mean that local communities have a much greater say in how and where schemes are built and are no longer hampered in their ambitions by what Government alone can afford.”

Where schemes do not qualify for full Government funding, the Environment Agency will work in partnership with local communities and other interested parties to lower costs or secure additional sources of private funding, such as from businesses or developers who stand to benefit from the additional protection a flood defence will bring.

For the first time, funding will also be available for surface water management schemes and property level protection as well as traditional flood and coastal erosion defences.

Schemes already under construction are not affected by these changes.

The first National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy has also been laid before Parliament today.  Subject to parliamentary approval it will be formally adopted later this year.  The strategy takes forward a number of recommendations made by Sir Michael Pitt in his review of the 2007 floods.  These include giving the Environment Agency a strategic overview role of all sources of flood risk and formalising the roles and responsibilities for Government, local authorities, emergency services and community groups.

Read more on the DEFRA website

Power to decide how best to protect crumbling coastal land will be given to local communities, the chairman of the Environment Agency (EA) has pledged.

Lord Smith, who was the guest speaker at the annual general meeting of the Suffolk Coast Against Retreat (SCAR) group at the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh on Saturday, has, however, warned that people would need to need to come up with money and well as “imaginative” ideas as government budgets for flood defence projects are squeezed.

The former cabinet minister told landowners, local councillors and representatives of coastal groups that the EA was committed to cutting bureaucracy and enabling defence schemes – and he offered a personal pledge to investigate failings.

“The ‘we know best’ approach doesn’t wash these days,” he said. “There will be times when we don’t get it right, and if you experience that, then come to me.”

Lord Smith said that, as well as tightened budgets for flood defences and management, there was uncertainly over the details of a new Government formula for calculating project grants.

But he said there was still a national pot of £2.1bn for flood risk management and defences over the next four years and that the EA would “sit down with communities” and look at schemes on a case-by-case basis.

“I would like for us to be able to say ‘we have this amount of money we can put in the pot – if that’s the case, can you raise this much?’ I’d like there to be real clarity and to give real power to communities to make those decisions,” he said.

The peer answered questions about possible tax breaks for contributions to defence schemes and future insurance cover for flood-risk homes. He assured the group he was lobbying ministers to recognise the value of agricultural land that may be at risk of being lost to the sea.

After the meeting, Lord Smith said: “I was very conscious when I took up my position as chairman of the Environment Agency that the people of Suffolk feel very strongly about their history, their landscape and their livelihoods and I am determined – even more so after seeing the passion coming from this room – to come up with as much as we can to help them.

“We are committed to protecting as many properties and as much land as effectively and efficiently as we can. We need to identify the communities most at need, look at all the available resources and find imaginative solutions to funding.”

Story in the Eastern Daily Press

A stretch of Suffolk and Essex coastline could be transformed into grazing and sea marches as part of a managed way to tackle rising sea levels.

Plans put forward by the Environment Bank and Environment Agency would see businesses pay to offset their green impacts, with the funding used to manage coastal areas.

For the past four years, the Environment Bank has been refining a delivery model for the UK in consultation with central government, NGO’s, developers, landowners, farmers and local authorities.

Now the Shell Foundation has agreed to provide funding and internal expertise for the next year to allow a trial scheme to go-ahead.

It is understood, but not confirmed, that the Government will include some form of conservation credits in its Natural Environment White paper.

So this pilot scheme is, according to the Environment Bank, a chance to get ahead of the white paper which is due out later this spring.

The scheme will in effect create a new market mechanism to enable sea levels to rise in a managed way, with the current site serving as a pilot.

Environment Bank chairman, David Hill, said: “Creating markets for ecosystem goods and services should stop the environment being treated as a non-replenishing extractive industry.

“The model we have developed, together with the trading infrastructure we are constructing, will be capable of listing, registering and validating credits in respect of the full range of emerging markets for ecosystem services.”

Environment Agency area manager, Dr Charles Beardall, said: “We will support the Environment Bank in exploring this approach with the partnerships we have developed throughout our shoreline management plans locally.

“This is a good demonstration of private sector investment working alongside public bodies to create wider environmental, economic and societal benefits for coastal communities”.

Similar schemes exist in the US and Europe and estimates put the value of biodiversity markets globally at $10billion a year.

Story on the edie.net website