Sizewell C: Further public consultation by EDF ends on 18 December 2020
Further advice to Alde and Ore Association members: EDF have launched a further short consultation on adjustments they are proposing to make to their proposals to reduce road traffic and make more use of rail and sea transport. Responses have to be submitted by 18th December. Full details can be downloaded from https://edf.thirdlight.com/pf.tlx?jUNjtYxjt2VdAX. The Alde and Ore Association’s remit limits its own consideration to the impact on the coast and members may want to take a view on the proposals to seek to reduce traffic on the roads as it affects their lives. The proposals involve extending the proposed Beach Landing Facility and have added a temporary beach landing facility, for which four options are given. The consultation also involves changes to the Hard Core Defence Feature which will defend the two SZC plants from the sea and flooding. There are also new plans for a temporary storm water outfall on the beach. These plans have consequences for the earlier proposals envisaged for shoreline protection by shingle recycling. The problem with all these proposals is that they involve new ideas on which the consultation document admits there is further work to be done to assess whether or not the impact on coastal processes and sediment movements will have significant effects, but it never the less goes on to suggest they do not think what they find will be significant. The Association’s Trustees conclude that, just as with the original proposals, these amended proposals are hard to comment on because the data and assessments of their likely impact are still missing. For example the design of the Hard Core Defence Feature was incomplete in the last consultation so assessment of its impact on coastal processes was not possible. This lack of transparency about what is planned, when the impact could be detrimental to our coast was and remains unacceptable, however welcome the attempt to reduce the number of road vehicle movements might be. Details Hard Core Defence Feature– now includes sheet piled walls with the effect that the HCDF will be 3.8 m higher and probably extended about 8 metres further seaward- the word ‘probably’ is used as the diagrams are not complete and East Coast Council experts have done their best to assess what the changes mean from of what is proposed. Diagrams of the HCDF are also hard to follow as little is given to set the amended construction in context, such as High Water Mark. But it seems clear that it will be a much more intrusive structure than in the earlier proposal. The Permanent Beach Landing facility would be extended by 30 metres and would be used for major exceptional deliveries. The Temporary Beach Landing facility would be used for delivery of bulk materials during the summer months. There are four options for the Temporary Facility which are yet to be assessed for EDF to arrive at a final choice: these have varying degrees of fixed and floating platforms and differing relationships with the shoreline. While the fourth option, which is currently largely a floating construction, seems least likely to affect sediment flows, it has not yet been decided whether that might in fact have a more fixed construction, in which case it might not be preferable. Temporary Storm Water Outfall This is a new addition but the actual placing on the beach is uncertain, as are the considerations as to its impact on the beach profile and possible problems for walkers. The consultation document accepts that the new proposals would mean that the need to take remedial action to deal with erosion and long shore drift would be needed earlier than under the previous plan, probably by 2050. It can be inferred that the earlier date of the structure starting to protrude from the coastline could mean earlier and more build-up of sediment north of Sizewell. The plans remain silent on what happens to the south: EDF maintain that given the coastal processes within the Greater Sizewell Bay will stay with that area, there will not be any implications to the south. This assertion remains strange given the long evolution of the dynamic Suffolk coast, even from Dunwich to Shingle Street, and the fact that the ness of Thorpeness itself had moved south in recent years. East Coast Council are in discussion with EDF about a future monitoring and mitigation plan. While it is not in the EDF plans and is being pushed for by ESC, indeed the Association supported this proposal in its last consultation response, the fact that EDF are talking about it is a positive development. The existence of such a plan, if Sizewell is allowed to be built, will be vital to ensure changes to the coast caused by the existence of SZC, as opposed to natural coastal evolution, are addressed and mitigation put in place. The need for a legally binding, well governed structure which will be properly funded was stated in many comments to earlier consultations, including by the AOA, but the Plan will be needed to be activated earlier now under the revised proposals. That therefore remains an important point to stress. Action Trustees will be sending in a response to the consultation covering the above points. But members are encouraged to send in their own comments. The details as to where and how comments can be submitted are given at the end of this email. At the very least these might say that while recognising the effort to reduce transport by road, the proposals in this latest consultation are not clearly defined or fully assessed. They add to greater uncertainty about the impact on the coast already commented on in the earlier consultation. A consultation on which is not possible to form a view but only to express concerns is not a real consultation. The concerns remain. There is nothing in any of the proposals to date which give any confidence that there has been any proper consideration of the potential damage to this dynamic coastline arising
Suffolk Coast Against Retreat (SCAR) AGM on 7th March
Suffolk Coast Against Retreat (SCAR) is holding its AGM at the Riverside Centre, Stratford St Andrew on Saturday 7th March at 10.30am. The guest speaker is Karen Thomas, Head of Coastal Partnership East. As always, this will be an interesting meeting with updates on matters affecting the Suffolk Coast including our estuary.
The Association’s response to the Shoreline Management Plan review of Sudbourne Beach on Orfordness
The Association has lodged its response to the consultation on Shoreline Management Plan review of SudbourneBeach on Orfordness. The review was required because of the development of the Alde and Ore Estuary Plan. The current Shoreline Management Plan’s interim policy is that after 2025 no action will be taken to preserve Sudbourne Beach, the area south of the Aldeburgh Martello Tower. The review proposes that this policy be changed to one of Managed Realignment, providing resilience against erosion to prevent a permanent breach from forming. With the importance of preventing a breach at Slaughden, The Association has responded to the Consultation in favour of the conclusion of the review to change the policy after 2025. A copy of The Association’s submission can be seen here. We would strongly encourage members to write in support individually as well – the more who support the review, the more likely it is that its recommendations will be accepted. There is an information booklet at https://www.coasteast.org.uk/media/1422/slaughden-booklet-2019.pdf and more informationand a Consultation Feedback Form is at https://www.coasteast.org.uk/our-work/current-consultations/
Coastal Path update
Following the meeting hosted by The Association on 17th July, we have now issued an updated report of the meeting together with the slides from the presentation by Jonathan Clarke of Natural England, Coastal Path Delivery Team. These documents give you information about the proposed route for the coastal path around our estuary together with contact details if you wish to raise any issues with Natural England’s Delivery Team.
Shoreline Management Plan – Poster and Advice
Please participate in a consultation on the revision the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) which is running from 1 October to 30 November and there are open drop-in sessions on 18 October from 1500-1900 and 19 October from 1000-1300 in the Aldeburgh Community Centre. We have a chance to comment on the proposed revision to the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) policy for the area to the south of the Aldeburgh Martello Tower. (SMP unit ORF15.1 Sudbourne Beach). Many members will be aware just how vulnerable the section of coast south of the Martello Tower has become and how close the sea has been to breaching the shingle bank through to the river. The SMP is the government policy guiding coastal defence around the entire English and Welsh coast. The section south of the Martello Tower down Orford Ness has been formally reviewed, following the completion of the Alde and Ore Estuary Plan to implement refurbishment of the river walls to be able to withstand overtopping in a 1:200 year surge. The proposal is to change the SMP policy for this part of the coast, which is currently No Active Intervention from the year 2025 (i.e. spend no money, do nothing to counter erosion) to Managed Realignment. This recommendation from the Suffolk Coast Forum is designed to avoid a permanent breach from forming by providing resilience against erosion. A permanent breach would change the river very dramatically, increasing the vulnerability of the estuary area to flooding with consequences for houses, land, water aquifers, walking, the environmental habitats and sailing and other water activities: so it would transform the river as we know it. A policy of Managed Realignment would allow action to be taken to sustain the shingle shore bank. Alde and Ore Association members are therefore encouraged to support the proposed amendment, in writing if looking in at the drop-in sessions is not possible, during the consultation period which ends on 30 November. It may also be helpful to add supportive comments giving one or two reasons for your support such as: A revised policy is crucial to the life of the estuary It is vital to support the Alde Ore Estuary Partnership plan You value the safe sailing environment provided by the river You love the tranquil estuary as it is now Important to the economy of the area If you cannot attend the drop- in consultation please visit https://www.coasteast.org.uk/our-work/current-consultations/ where you will find more information and a feedback form. There is an information booklet at https://www.coasteast.org.uk/media/1422/slaughden-booklet-2019.pdf Alternatively you can email coastalmanagement@eastsuffolk.gov.uk with your reply. Alison Andrews, Chairman of the Alde and Ore Association
Coastal Path: start of local consultations
Natural England are holding two open sessions to start taking views on the route of the coastal path between Aldeburgh and Bawdsey. Thereafter consultations will continue with land owners and interested groups until the proposed route is identified and submitted to the Secretary of State in the summer of 2018. After that there will be formal 8 week consultation and then a consideration of views given before a final decision is taken. The first open days are Tuesday 17 October 2017 at Snape Village Hall, Church Road, IP17 1SX from 10am -1pm Monday 30 October at Hollesley Village Hall, Woodbridge Road IP12 3QR from 1pm to 4pm For more detail the link to the Natural England site is www.gov.uk/englandcoastpath.