Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: businesses oppose seawall and stakeholders demand clarity
With the 'preferred option' of groynes not being the preferred option of the local stakeholders on the BMP steering group:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: breakwaters rather than groins/groynes
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: "There is widespread scepticism of the process and little regard shown to the local understanding of what the real issues might be."
The District Council is desperate to cover the costs of this plan that almost no one in Sidmouth wants:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: still a funding gap of £3.3million
And so it has now woken up to the idea of twisting South West Water's arm for some cash - with a motion before the full Council next week:
Council
Wednesday, 24th April, 2019 6.00 pm
Motion - Government support requested for financial contributions from utility companies to flood and coastal protection schemes
‘This Council is leading and coordinating coastal protection schemes in Sidmouth, Exmouth and Seaton. There is an expectation, based on current funding models, for significant amounts of partnership funding to be raised. An example of this is the circa. £13 million project for Sidmouth which has identified £3 million of partnership funding to be raised before the scheme can progress.
This necessary work will protect not just homes and businesses but also important infrastructure and utilities. In Sidmouth, for example, the SWW infrastructure and other utilities will be protected from the incursion of the sea and erosion when the scheme is delivered.
It seems fair and reasonable that all utility companies contribute towards the cost of coastal and flood protection works.
Therefore, I ask Council to support the motion that ‘The Government ensures that where assets and infrastructure will be protected by a flood and coastal protection scheme all utility companies are required to make a proportionate and appropriate mandatory level of financial contribution towards that scheme. ‘
Proposed by; Cllr Stuart Hughes
Seconded by; Cllr Phil Twiss
Supported by Cllrs David Barratt, Ian Hall, Colin Brown, Jenny Brown, John Dyson and Iain Chubb.
Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 24th April, 2019, 6.00 pm - East Devon
As reported by Devon Live:
Utility companies 'should be forced to help pay for coastal protection schemes'
In Sidmouth, South West Water infrastructure will be protected if the scheme is built, but they have not contributed financially to the near £9m scheme.
Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporter
15 APR 2019
Utility companies should help pay towards coastal protection flood defence schemes, a motion to East Devon District Council is calling for.
The council meeting on April 24 will discuss a motion calling on the Government to request electric, gas, telephone and water companies to be mandated to contribute to coastal protection schemes, where they will benefit from them.
It has been put forward by Cllr Stuart Hughes as more than £2m is still needed to be found before the Sidmouth beach management scheme can go ahead.
The beach management scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding to Sidmouth by maintaining the standard of defences along Sidmouth Beach, and to reduce the rate of erosion to the cliffs to the East of the town. The groyne will help keep shingle from being moved eastwards away from the vulnerable cliffs and the higher splash wall will capture water coming over the sea wall to prevent flooding in the town centre.
15 APR 2019
Utility companies should help pay towards coastal protection flood defence schemes, a motion to East Devon District Council is calling for.
The council meeting on April 24 will discuss a motion calling on the Government to request electric, gas, telephone and water companies to be mandated to contribute to coastal protection schemes, where they will benefit from them.
It has been put forward by Cllr Stuart Hughes as more than £2m is still needed to be found before the Sidmouth beach management scheme can go ahead.
The beach management scheme aims to reduce the risk of flooding to Sidmouth by maintaining the standard of defences along Sidmouth Beach, and to reduce the rate of erosion to the cliffs to the East of the town. The groyne will help keep shingle from being moved eastwards away from the vulnerable cliffs and the higher splash wall will capture water coming over the sea wall to prevent flooding in the town centre.
Option 1 - The preferred option that the beach management plan for Sidmouth has identified is to construct one or two new rock groynes along East Beach over a distance of up to 200m east of the River Sid and to modify the length of the seaward end of the River Sid training wall and East Pier rock groyne to improve sediment transport between Sidmouth Town Beach and East Beach. This would be supported by importing new shingle and moving shingle along the beach as required.
In Sidmouth, South West Water infrastructure will be protected if the scheme is built, but they have not contributed financially to the near £9m scheme.
The scheme will cost £8.9m, with around £3m of funding needs to be provided locally. £500,000 of this will be provided by East Devon District Council, with £500,000 set to be committed by Devon County Council and £100,000 from Sidmouth town council, meaning a further £2.4m needs to be found.
Cllr Hughes said: “I have put forward a notice of motion re request to Government to put into place the requirement for all utility companies to contribute towards coastal protection flood defence schemes. The shortfall for a scheme at Sidmouth would be impossible to find locally.
“Utilities services will be protected by such works. However at present they don’t have to contribute and I don’t recall seeing any scheme that’s gone ahead receiving funding from either the electric, gas, or telephone companies. Water companies don’t always contribute and as far as Sidmouth is concerned. They haven’t come to the party with any promise of financial contribution.
“This necessary work will protect not just homes and businesses but also important infrastructure and utilities. In Sidmouth, for example, the South West Water infrastructure and other utilities will be protected from the incursion of the sea and erosion when the scheme is delivered.
“It seems fair and reasonable that all utility companies contribute towards the cost of coastal and flood protection works. Hopefully the council will support the motion.”
Coastal protection schemes are also being worked up by East Devon in Exmouth and Seaton, as well as Sidmouth.
The motion reads: “The Government ensures that where assets and infrastructure will be protected by a flood and coastal protection scheme, all utility companies are required to make a proportionate and appropriate mandatory level of financial contribution towards that scheme.”
Cllrs Phil Twiss, David Barratt, Ian Hall, Colin Brown, Jenny Brown, John Dyson and Iain Chubb have supported the motion.
The Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme is currently being delayed until the funding becomes available. It had previously been hoped that work could have begun in 2019, subject to planning constraints being met.
Utility companies 'should be forced to help pay for coastal protection schemes' - Devon Live
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.
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In Sidmouth, South West Water infrastructure will be protected if the scheme is built, but they have not contributed financially to the near £9m scheme.
The scheme will cost £8.9m, with around £3m of funding needs to be provided locally. £500,000 of this will be provided by East Devon District Council, with £500,000 set to be committed by Devon County Council and £100,000 from Sidmouth town council, meaning a further £2.4m needs to be found.
Cllr Hughes said: “I have put forward a notice of motion re request to Government to put into place the requirement for all utility companies to contribute towards coastal protection flood defence schemes. The shortfall for a scheme at Sidmouth would be impossible to find locally.
“Utilities services will be protected by such works. However at present they don’t have to contribute and I don’t recall seeing any scheme that’s gone ahead receiving funding from either the electric, gas, or telephone companies. Water companies don’t always contribute and as far as Sidmouth is concerned. They haven’t come to the party with any promise of financial contribution.
“This necessary work will protect not just homes and businesses but also important infrastructure and utilities. In Sidmouth, for example, the South West Water infrastructure and other utilities will be protected from the incursion of the sea and erosion when the scheme is delivered.
“It seems fair and reasonable that all utility companies contribute towards the cost of coastal and flood protection works. Hopefully the council will support the motion.”
Coastal protection schemes are also being worked up by East Devon in Exmouth and Seaton, as well as Sidmouth.
The motion reads: “The Government ensures that where assets and infrastructure will be protected by a flood and coastal protection scheme, all utility companies are required to make a proportionate and appropriate mandatory level of financial contribution towards that scheme.”
Cllrs Phil Twiss, David Barratt, Ian Hall, Colin Brown, Jenny Brown, John Dyson and Iain Chubb have supported the motion.
The Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme is currently being delayed until the funding becomes available. It had previously been hoped that work could have begun in 2019, subject to planning constraints being met.
Utility companies 'should be forced to help pay for coastal protection schemes' - Devon Live
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