Thumbs down for dredging
(The Advertiser Online, 21 April 2005)
RESIDENTS from coastal towns and villages converged upon Great Yarmouth Racecourse this week to protest the practice of dredging off the region's coastline.
Hanson Aggregates Marine held a presentation day at the racecourse on Tuesday to promote its application to renew its dredging licence. The company currently dredges for aggregate 22km off the Great Yarmouth coast with the licence set to expire on March 31 2006. A number of coastal villages including Scratby and Happisburgh were represented at the meeting as residents denounced the application and insisted more research needed to be done into the possible link between dredging and coastal erosion.
Malcolm Kerby of the Coastline Concern Action Group called for a "moratorium placed on all dredging in British waters" until there is adequate proof that aggregate dredging did not impact on the nation's shoreline. "I would like to see it stopped immediately," he said. "If there is the slightest doubt of any description, it should be stopped. I've got documentation that says offshore dredging causes coastal erosion." Mr Kerby added that more independent research needed to be carried out.
Jim Bratton from Scratby said he would need "more convincing" before he would accept there is no connection between the North Sea dredging site and coastal erosion at the village. "If you're dredging sand from the ocean bed and losing sand from the shore, it's a strange coincidence," he said.
Spokesman for Hanson Aggregates Marine David Harding said the company had proof that there is "no link between dredging and coastal erosion". However, at a meeting due to take place tonight officers will recommend that Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Executive objects to the renewal of the dredging licence as there is "insufficient evidence to demonstrate that such activities do not impact upon the coastal processes and erosion of the coastline".
Hanson Aggregates Marine has applied to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for approval and a favourable Government view would enable the company to apply to the Crown Estate for a production licence.
The timing of the renewal application has made the impact of dredging on coastal erosion a major political issue for local parliamentary candidates in the run up to the general election. Earlier this month, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Great Yarmouth Tony Wright expressed his concerns about the renewal of the application and this week his Conservative counterpart Mark Fox announced his opposition to the practice of offshore dredging.
"I support putting in proper sea defences - onshore or offshore," he said, "and I personally support the idea that residents who lived there before the problem was known should be compensated by the Government for any insurance difficulties."
The Shadow Environment and Transport Secretary Tim Yeo is due to visit Scratby today (Thursday) to highlight the problems presented by coastal erosion on the region.