Save Our Selsey - Campaign for Coastal Defence

unveiled our new look website – take a look at www.saveourselsey.org, for more coverage of all the following points and lots more, including how you can help the campaign
encouraged the District Council (CDC) to protect the broken sea wall at Clayton Road, Selsey
exposed Natural England’s plan to convert land which people live and work on, into marshes
lobbied the Environment Agency (EA) to maintain Medmerry Beach properly
continued talks with the EA and CDC on the Coast Defence Strategy (CDS)
started lobbying the authorities about the next coastal policy – the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)
supported Bunn Leisure in their application to build their own coast defences
continued our press campaign – featuring in the local press, radio and BBC TV
participated in a global report issued by International Friends of the Earth, launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali
supported the Manhood Peninsula Steering Group (MPSG) in its work
continued to monitor all Selsey’s defences.

Here’s more detail on some of these points (see our website for full coverage) ....

CDC did some emergency repairs. Then began a lengthy process of trying to get DEFRA (the government) to pay for this, and to rebuild the broken wall. We supported their efforts, but in the end something had to be done, before the winter’s storms.

With our encouragement, the Council put a revetment (boulders) in front of the broken wall, and in several other places considered at risk. This should give a number of years’ protection, at a fraction of the cost of rebuilding these sections of wall.

Selsey needs a programme of revetment building to protect its sea walls, starting with the most vulnerable places. This would spread the cost over many years, making such a project feasible, even with a relatively small annual budget.

This quango wants to convert thousands of acres of land (including homes and businesses) into marshes. See their published plan [the Solent CHaMP], on our website. We love the environment, but making people homeless or jobless (with no compensation), will turn everyone against the whole idea of conservation, and set the environmental cause back years.

Natural England also wants to let coastlines “erode naturally”, and prefers geology (e.g. the clay beds along Medmerry) to people. A fresh exposure of this clay takes precedence, in their view, over letting people defend their homes. We are taking issue with this.

Discussions continue, about ineffective “maintenance” of Medmerry Beach, and the CDS. The “draft CDS” will be published in March; there are signs that some of our arguments are having a positive effect.

This is another coastal plan, covering our area that sets out policies for our shoreline (you’d think one plan was enough!). We are keeping a close eye on this, and have applied to be a consultee.

We instigated (at the suggestion of our MP, Andrew Tyrie) the formation of and are part of the MPSG, which includes resident & business groups, and others (including our MP), all focussed on safeguarding our community by retaining coast defences, “so long as it is economically & socially justifiable to do so”.

The MPSG is looking at how Selsey could provide its own defences, such as offshore or onshore reefs, via a self-financing scheme that uses recycled materials (aggregate and soil) combined with renewable energy production (wind/tide power). Remember, even if the CDS says “hold the line”, it doesn’t mean the government will pay to do so. With the authorities looking at “local funding” (= you and me, through local taxes), a self-financing scheme could prove attractive.

Thanks for your continued support. If you’re not already registered as a supporter, please do so through our website (it’s painless & cost-free! - click here) or by filling in one of the forms available at Selsey Town Hall and “In Stitches”, 89 High Street, and posting it in the SOS box there. Donations to our fighting fund are, of course, always welcome! Cheques should be made payable to Save Our Selsey and can be posted in the SOS boxes as well. Finally, please note that our AGM will be held in March – see the website for details. We hope to see you there!

e-mail: info@saveourselsey.org