Report Back: Shoreline Management Plan - Withdraw the "fatally flawed Plan"
Letter from Norman Lamb MP and Malcolm Kerby to local residents March 2005
We thought that we should report back to local residents on the current position with regard to the draft Shoreline Management Plan.
Consultation Meetings
We have held consultation meetings at Happisburgh, Bacton, Mundesley and Overstrand. It seemed to us that there was a risk that the consultation period would run out without local people having a chance to have their say. Approximately 1000 people attended the four meetings. We would welcome hearing from anyone who wasn't able to attend and we will make sure that any letters we receive are submitted prior to the deadline.
There was an overwhelming rejection of the draft plan by those attending the meetings. We will be making a joint submission on the basis of the feedback from the meetings.
We will argue that the draft plan should be withdrawn because it is a fatally flawed document.
No proper assessment of costs of abandonment
In particular it proposes abandoning the coastline and yet fails to assess the full cost of this approach. The document confirms that "losses and benefits have been calculated only on the basis of residential and commercial property values. Other assets, such as utilities, highways, and intangibles such as recreation, impacts on the local economy or environment, have not been valued or included'".
This makes a nonsense of the whole plan. It is unacceptable to reach a decision to abandon a stretch of coastline, affecting whole communities, without a proper assessment of the full economic impact. Such an assessment could justify a very ditferent conclusion.
Impact of dredging
The draft plan makes only a passing reference to dredging stating: "Whether or not there are links between offshore dredging and coastal erosion is uncertain".
Given this uncertainty, there should be further research commissioned into the impact of dredging on the rate of coastal erosion before any new plan can be properly considered. The Eurosion report published last year highlighted the fact that dredging can have such an impact. In 2002 alone, the Crown Estate received £5.2 million income from aggregate extraction just off the Norfolk coast. Consideration must be given to a much more robust environmental impact assessment before dredging licences are granted.
Compensation
There must be a scheme of compensation for those whose homes are lost to the sea. It is unacceptable that one generation of people who happen to live and own homes in coastal communities at a time when the rules are changed from a position of defending the coastline to one of abandonment should lose everything. Without compensation, blight could set in now, not at some indeterminate date in the future. A compensation scheme would give people renewed confidence to buy into these communities. It would also force Government to reach a more objective judgement about whether to defend a stretch of coastline. At present, abandonment is a nil cost option. A scheme of compensation would force the Government to balance the cost of defending the coastline against the cost of compensation.
Adjournment Debate
You will probably have heard that I (Norman Lamb) secured a debate in Parliament on Tuesday, 8th March. All of these points were made. Sadly, the Minister, Elliot Morley, seemed to deny all responsibility, despite the fact that his department holds the purse strings and issues the guidance as to how the SMP should be prepared. He has refused our invitation to visit North Norfolk and to meet with people affected. We know that his department has been considering compensation but he refuses even to concede this. If you are interested in reading the debate and have access to the internet you can get to the Hansard reports at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cmhansrd.htm If you do not have access, and would like a hard copy, please phone or write to the Constituency office. We will send it to you.
If you have any further points you want to make, do get in touch.
Best wishes,
Norman Lamb, Member of Parliament, North Norfolk
Malcolm Kerby, Chairman, Coastal Concern Action Group
P.S. from Norman Lamb: The Liberal Democrats' policy is to support the joint position set out in this letter. Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable, has confirmed his backing for the position taken by me including withdrawal of the plan and the case for compensation. I fully recognise the importance of Malcolm Kerby and the Action Group remaining politically impartial and so I am stating this in my own name.