Publication: “Selsey Life” October 2007

SOS

We had a great time at the Selsey Festival, a lovely hot summer’s day that now seems a long time ago. We talked to lots of people and handed out copies of our latest bulletin.

We also encouraged support for Bunn Leisure’s application to build a 200m long coast defence at Medmerry Beach, in front of the Oasis. They want to put boulders along this frontage, with access steps down to the beach. It would protect the Oasis complex for decades, strengthen the case for defending the rest of Selsey’s coastline, and be entirely paid for by Bunn Leisure. To support the application, write to the Council planning department (ref. 07/02958/FUL), or use the link on our website (www.saveourselsey.org).

You’d think private money for coast defence would be welcomed, but already there are two “holding” objections from Natural England. This could mean the works won’t get approval before the first autumn storms hit.

Natural England is the government’s nature conservation quango, paid for by our taxes. Unelected, it must be consulted by the District Council about planning applications, and it can appeal against their decisions. Unelected, it lobbies the authorities hard for its published “vision” for the Manhood’s coastline.

This “vision” is cold comfort for us who live and work here. Talking about our coast, it states that “maintaining the status quo is insufficient…sediment movement processes [i.e. the erosion of Medmerry Beach] should continue unchecked by sea defences…wherever possible, soft cliffs [e.g. by the coastguard station] should be allowed to erode naturally, with agricultural land behind being returned to natural maritime habitats”.

As for our existing natural habitats, the grazing marsh at Medmerry is low on its protection list. It’s prepared to lose it, in order to let shingle beaches erode “naturally”, or to create new saltmarsh (to replace saltmarshes lost elsewhere). Natural England’s tone is almost jubilant: Selsey provides the “opportunity to undertake habitat creation…which could [compensate for saltmarsh losses] throughout the Solent”. Put bluntly, this means that Southampton can build coast defences, because Selsey will be sacrificed to “provide saltmarsh”. Is this just?

Remember, Natural England can veto coast defence works, and thereby make its “vision” happen at the stroke of a pen. We aim to persuade it to preserve the habitats we already have (along with the people who live and work here), rather than flood us out to compensate for the loss of saltmarsh at Portsmouth, Southampton etc.

With the help of all you supporters, we can achieve things! The District Council has now agreed to reinforce the temporary repair to the sea wall at Clayton Road. A key part of the job will be to place boulders in front of the broken wall, to take the force of the sea. We welcome this decision and hope the Council will be allowed to get on with the job without being hampered by any more red tape