The Alde & Ore Association

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Butley Ferry’s Starring role in The Dig (2021)

Screen Suffolk shared an account of the filming that took place on The Butley Ferry.  The scenes on the boat are so important in bringing Suffolk to life on screen. To read more click here.    Photo credit: Screen Suffolk

National Planning Inspectorate’s Examination (Public Inquiry) of the two Scottish Power Renewables application for EA ONE North and EA TWO windfarms

The Association has raised its concerns for the integrity of our Suffolk fragile coast and the impact on the Alde and Ore area. The Association gave evidence at Issue Specific Hearing 4 on the potential impacts of the Scottish Power Renewables projects on Thorpeness Cliffs and at the Open Floor Hearing 6 on: – the impacts on the coast generally – the AONB in which the Alde and Ore lies, and – access to the Alde and Ore area and on its local economy. The papers are available for download below: SPR-EA1-N-and-SPR-EA-2-ISH-4 SPR-OFH6

Help with Redshanks and Swifts

Would you like to help with redshank Surveys in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which includes the Alde and Ore Estuary)? The redshank was selected as the flagship species to represent the Coast and Heaths AONB by various environmental partners last September (details can be found here. The AONB has received funding from Natural England to run a redshank awareness campaign this spring, 2021. This will involve putting up some redshank signs and helping AONB visitors understand about redshank and how not to disturb them when out enjoying the countryside. If anyone who wishes to help put signs up, raise awareness or distribute leaflets then please contact Alex Moore on alex.mooredaluz@suffolk.gov.uk or on mobile 07734 967782. Or would you like to help with swifts nesting? Suffolk Coast and Heaths have partnered with the Suffolk Bird Group and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and are currently looking for suitable sites in the AONB to install swift boxes and callers. If you would be interested in providing homes for swifts, please contact Alex Moore on alex.mooredaluz@suffolk.gov.uk or on mobile 07734 967782. Swifts have declined by 45% in the UK in just under 20 years and they desperately need help.

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

Countryside Code updated

The Association seeks to help enjoyment of the Alde and Ore Estuary area: the updated Countryside Code provides useful ideas of how to enjoy and protect an area at one and the same time’.

Demolition of the Orfordness lighthouse has started.

Update: Demolition on Orfordness Lighthouse has begun Demolition started Artefacts saved and history preserved Another chapter begins One of East Anglia’s most iconic landmarks, Orfordness Lighthouse, despite the valiant efforts of a local group of volunteers, is finally having to admit defeat and is in the process of being demolished. The encroaching North Sea has brought the life of this Grade 2 Listed building to an end after 228 years of safeguarding and providing a navigation mark for mariners. Following a detailed assessment and a review of all the options, it was concluded that for safety reasons alone, there was no acceptable alternative other than demolition. Preparations: Image CWH Media Sunday 18th July A Brief History This section of the coast has always been hazardous. In 1627 32 ships were wrecked in a single storm. Over the years there have been 11 different lighthouses on Orford Ness. The earliest consisted of no more than wooden structures which burnt wood or coal. Apart from being vulnerable to pirates and the French (1707), many of these were washed away by the encroaching sea. The existing lighthouse was built in 1792 by Lord Braybrooke of Audley End and was lit by oil lamps. The project wasn’t entirely altruistic. Passing cargo ships had to pay a fee every time they passed and, in today’s money, the revenue earned was about £ ½ million p.a. The fees were subsequently reduced with the Government sharing the revenue, until in 1836 the lighthouse was compulsorily acquired by Trinity House. They managed and improved the lighthouse until 2013. Initially the light came from wood, coal and then sperm whale oil. In 1959 the remaining light was converted and powered by electricity. Until 1965 the lighthouse was manned by resident lighthouse keepers with their families living on site. Subsequently the light was controlled remotely by Trinity House from Harwich until June 2013, when the lighthouse was decommissioned because of the encroaching sea. It was then sold to Orfordness Lighthouse Company Limited with a view to the public being allowed access during its final years. This was achieved by setting up a registered charity, the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust. Since 2013 many hundreds of visitors have had the opportunity to go up the lighthouse through the efforts of the Charity trustees and a core group of volunteers from Orford. The Demolition The demolition is being undertaken by Anglian Demolition from Attleborough, South of Norwich. This leading East Anglian firm has significant experience of dealing with projects of this magnitude. The work involves saving as many of the historic artefacts as possible, including the original Braybrooke entrance plaque, items from the curved stairway, a magnificent wooden case to house the spare lamps and, most critically, the glazed lantern section at the top. The works are likely to take a number of weeks and, quite apart from rescuing the key artefacts, will involve recycling most of the building’s components. In light of the sensitive and protected nature of the site, which is situated within a National Nature Reserve and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, particular care is being taken to avoid any unnecessary environmental damage. Owing to the Covid situation, the Ness is unfortunately closed to visitors as social distancing cannot be achieved on the ferry passage over. The Future Upon completion of the demolition exercise, the lantern room and other artefacts will pass to the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust charity and when funds are available it is hoped that they will form the basis of a lighthouse memorial structure on land which has been earmarked on the other side of the Ness facing the Orford town quay. Comments Nicholas Gold, from Orfordness Lighthouse Company and a trustee of Orfordness Lighthouse Trust said, “It is obviously a sad day. But the sea now washes against the base of the building and the entrance porch has been undermined. The cellar walls are exposed. For a number of years it was possible to hold concerts for supporters above the beach overlooking the sea. No longer. This last winter a couple of adjacent buildings, including a beautiful Victorian oil store, were taken by the sea and in recent months the lighthouse has become a hazard. “We have been incredibly fortunate. First, in the way that Trinity House allowed the lighthouse to be acquired and be looked after and visited by local people and others during its final years. Secondly, in having a fantastic group of local volunteers to make it happen and, thirdly, when it came to the demolition, in having the National Trust and a host of other agencies who were both co-operative and understanding during this difficult time. “Regrettably, we had little choice as the owner had to remove the risk of imminent injury. However, by demolishing it carefully, rather than letting it tumble into the sea, it should be possible to recover the main artefacts and preserve them for future generations. “Light houses are magnificent symbols of man’s strength against the elements. The lighthouse has been a truly iconic landmark on the Orford and East Anglian skyline for generations. It would be a sadness to leave this stretch of the coastline naked for too long. “We have managed to secure a suitable site and all we need now is the funding for the building work.” Nick Collinson, National Trust General Manager Suffolk & Essex Coast said, “Orford Ness Lighthouse has been an iconic landmark on this stretch of Suffolk’s coastline for centuries, and we are saddened to see it lost. Sitting on such a dynamic shingle spit, constantly changed by the sea, man’s presence here can often feel ephemeral. We are pleased to be working so closely with the Orford Ness Lighthouse team to ensure the building can be demolished safely and in a way that is appropriate to such a special place for wildlife and landscape.

Correspondence with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council regarding Sizewell C Consultation

The following is email correspondence with Councillor Steve Gallant, Leader of East Suffolk Council, regarding The Association’s concerns that  the Sizewell C consultation with the public to be postponed until the COVID19 restrictions are lifted. A similar two-way exchange was had with Councillor Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council. In addition, Suffolk County and East Suffolk Councils have issued joint statements echoing The Association’s concerns which can be seen at:- https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/show/joint-statement-from-sizewell-c-joint-local-authorities-group https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news/show/joint-council-reaction-to-edf-energys-submission-of-application-for-sizewell-c   Email from The Association to Councillor Steve Gallant, Leader of East Suffolk Council: Sent 24 June 2020 Dear Councillor Gallant EDF’s application is to be considered. Please can the actual consultation be delayed. While the government yesterday announced coronavirus restrictions will be more relaxed from 4 July, the actual instructions as to how things will be done are still being written and not on the government website. So how can consultation begin to take place? While people may be allowed in pubs, can people in groups of 20, 50, 100 meet in halls? – it just is not clear. When can public libraries be open and how many will be allowed in them at any one time – it could take a very long time given the queue to look at EDF papers.  Some EDF papers should be huge – almost nothing has been given out in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment since the second consultation, despite multiple comments then that what there was, was wholly inadequate. Can the consultations be delayed until we know what can be done, what meetings can or cannot be arranged and more. And then arrangements framed to allow for as much interchange as possible but in reality consultation on line is a very poor substitute in a proper democracy. It would be best if consultations are simply postponed until face to face meetings are fully allowed and libraries are properly open. On top of all this it is now only a month until August: consultations should not take place during August- it is a time when offices are run on a skeleton team who have to cover everything that is a normal task, and many are on leave with families so cannot abandon them to rush to meetings or spend hours on the internet.  And many of the volunteer sector who strive to contribute to the sustained life of the community are heavily taken up with family, child and older people care, and visiting relatives.  August should be deemed not to count it in any consultation period. In January 2019 the Suffolk local councils organised incredibly valuable sessions with a wide variety of local interests covering different topics from transport to coastal processes and many more. I hope this can be done again but people need to be able to get together. Thank you Alison Andrews Alde and Ore Association   Reply from Councillor Steve Gallant; Sent: Thu, 25 Jun 2020 Dear Alison Andrews Thank you for your email. East Suffolk Council shares your concerns.  We feel there is more for EDF to do in order to satisfy a range of outstanding questions and issues.  We also feel strongly that local communities should be given the fullest opportunity to ask relevant questions and understand the plans for the site.  We have made EDF aware of our concerns and if they decide to press ahead with the process, we will be asking them to commit to an extended 84 day consultation period at the very least. If you have not already done so, you may wish to contact the Planning Inspectorate direct (sizewellc@planninginspectorate.gov.uk) and, if you have not done so already, I would encourage you to register as an ‘Interested Party’ in order to be kept up to date by the Planning Inspectorate on the process.  All Sizewell C project updates will be available on the Planning Inspectorate website at https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/sizewell-c-new-nuclear-power-station/ and all documentation in relation to this project will be available on this page. The Council will work closely with all parties to ensure that if this proposal were to go ahead, its impact on our area and its communities is at an acceptable level with the appropriate mitigation and compensation negotiated to offset adverse impacts. Myself, as Leader, along with my Cabinet colleagues, supported by the many officers involved on this project, will work tirelessly to this end. I expect that you will make representations to the Planning Inspectorate at the appropriate time and I would be pleased to receive those too in order to enable my colleagues to understand your concerns in full. Yours sincerely Cllr Steve Gallant                

Alde and Ore Community Partnership next meeting

The next meeting of the Alde and Ore Community Partnership will be held on Zoom at 6.30pm on Thursday 11th June. Details and agenda for the meeting together with minutes of previous meetings are at the AOCP website. The meeting is open to the public and members who would like to ‘attend’ the meeting should email aldeblackburn@aol.com for joining intructions.