Letter from Malcolm Kerby to Trevor Harding, Filey local action group
09 July 2006
(Following an invitation by local campaigners to attend the public launch of the North East SMP2 River Tyne to Flamborough Head)
Dear Trevor
How ironic that I should be hospitalized at the very time of your Shoreline Management Plan presentation. I would be most grateful if you would tender my apologies for my absence to Greg Guthrie of Royal Haskoning, who, I understand, is chairing the meeting.
Firstly it is important to understand these second generation SMP's are not local plans at all. DEFRA appoints the Consultants. DEFRA pays the Consultants and DEFRA lay down the guidelines and parameters for the plan. In other words he who pays the piper calls the tune. These SMP's are very much DEFRA plans presented in the name of the Local Authorities.
The question which must be answered before any such plan is launched are
- Are there adequate measures contained within the plan to obviate Planning and Property blight? As you know the minute the Kelling to Lowestoft Ness second generation draft pilot SMP was made public there was an immediate and ongoing devaluation of property in the order of some 30% , with many properties becoming virtually unsellable, which of course means a devaluation of 100%. Throughout the North Norfolk/ Great Yarmouth areas property values have been seriously adversely affected as much as two miles inland.
- Are adequate measures built into the plan to achieve social justice ( compensation) for all who lose value and indeed property as a result of the SMP?
If the answer to these core questions is NO, irrespective of reason, then the proposed second generation SMP must not be launched. To do so would be to ignore and fail to address the problems revealed in the Pilot SMPs and would of course be irresponsible in the extreme.
If, like ours, your SMP calls for defending some selected areas and letting other areas go undefended then it is quite simply impossible to achieve natural process in the undefended areas. This was confirmed to me just a few weeks ago by a leading Government think tank scientist.
Just remember the Consultants who prepare these SMPs are paid by Government to put forward Government ideas and policy. Nowhere can one find sound Coast Management. We are managing our Coasts for purely fiscal reasons and these second generation SMPs are produced to legitimise the mass abandonment of our Coastline because Government (the Treasury) does not wish to fund Coast Defences.
I really wish I could be there with you as there are many more questions which need to be put to Government and it's lap dog Consultants. Not least is your need to know whether there will be a meaningful public consultation on this SMP. Please go to our website www.happisburgh.org.uk for a more in depth look at the issues.
Yours Sincerely,
M.R.Kerby
Co-ordinator Coastal Concern Action Group.