Friday 03 January 2014
Environment Department response to media enquiry from the Guernsey Press. Here are those questions regarding the damage to the seating area and sea wall at the L'Ancresse kiosk.
Here are those questions regarding the damage to the seating area and sea wall at the L'Ancresse kiosk.
When was the department first made aware of the damage?
What has caused the seating area to fall in? When does the department believe this to have happened?
How extensive is this damage? Does the department have any concerns about an underlying problem?
Is the sea wall at risk? Could further damage be caused to the seating area and potentially the kiosk?
What is the department doing to assess and repair the damage?
How much will the repair work cost?
I see crowd barriers have been put up so that the public can't access the area. Is there health and safety concerns?
Has there been any damage to the area caused by the sea before?
Please feel free to add any further information.
Initial Environment Department response on 2 January 2014
The Environment Department was made aware of the damage at 14:30hrs by the kiosk tenant. The area has been inspected by the States Property Services Engineers and Department staff and arrangements made to install temporary barriers to keep the public clear of the area.
The concrete immediately in front of the kiosk has become undermined due sand/gravel beneath being pulled underneath the wall by the strong swells over the last 24 hours. The sand and shingle levels have dropped since Monday 30th when the area was last inspected which means the base of the wall is more vulnerable to undermining.
The area will be inspected again tomorrow after the high tide and further information will be issued tomorrow afternoon.
Environment Department's update response on 3 January 2014
The SPS Engineers inspected the seawall at L'Ancresse this morning and there was minor damage noted to the concrete screed to the top of the wall following this morning's high tides. There was no change in the condition of the seating area at the kiosk.
The damaged area by the kiosk will be attended to next week when the crowd barriers will be removed. There is always a risk that any sea defence wall may be undermined during high spring tides when accompanied by big swells as experienced this week so it is not possible to rule out further damage in the area. The Environment Department and SPS Engineers will continue to assess the area over the weekend and next week and consider what repairs may be undertaken when better weather conditions allow. Costs are not yet known.
This type of damage around the wall is not unusual and repairs are made to the wall, and the area behind the wall every year. The underlying issues are the aging of the WWII wall and its position which does not allow the considerable force and energy of the sea to be expended before it hits the wall. This causes constant movement and depletion of sand and shingle at the base of the wall with consequent damage, all of which are exacerbated during storm conditions over spring tides. The wall was constructed as an anti-tank wall, not as a coastal defence.
