Thursday 15 January 2015
Guernsey Press Enquiry:
As I mentioned over the phone, I had a media enquiry regarding sea wall repairs.
Environmentalist Vic Froome has recently commented that more notice should be taken of nature experts when completing repairs and improving sea defences.
For example, Mr Froome said that a large sloping bank could have been created at Bulwer Avenue to try to reduce the force of the sea waves hitting the new wall.
I have spoken to someone at Geomarine who said that the rock armour was designed to do this.
I was hoping to get an Environment response to Mr Froome's comments? Could a different approach be considered at other sites? Is the department confident that the Bulwer Avenue defences will hold up to storms for years to come?
Could Environment also give an update on the work and money spent on sea defences since last year's storms?
What is planned in the coming year and what kind of budget does Environment have for the coming year? Has extra cash been made available in case of a repeat of the storm damage in 2015?
Is there any chance you could come back to me today? If it's easier, you could provide the Bulwer Avenue response first.
Environment Department Response:
The Environment Department undertook the recent repair and installation of the rock armour at Bulwer Avenue as an emergency measure response to maintain the wall and protect the vital infrastructure behind. The primary function of the rock armour toe is to protect the base of the wall from the action of the sea, any resultant reduction in overtopping is a welcome but a secondary consideration.
The Department has not lost sight of the impact of coastal flooding associated with sea level rise and climate change at Bulwer Avenue. Following the States approval of the Department's coastal defence flood risk report in 2013 coastal areas were prioritised for long-term management of coastal flooding. The feasibility study for St Sampson, the first priority area, is underway. Feasibility studies for Belle Greve and Les Banques will be undertaken within the next two years. The Department's Board and Treasury and Resources were aware that this repair was a stop-gap measure and it is important to note that the rock armour is a 'no regrets' option as the States retains the flexibility to remove it to re-use elsewhere or to re-build/re-develop from this point as necessary. To have significantly increased the level of protection at Bulwer Avenue now would have used resources the States needed elsewhere when, in two or three years' time, a more long-term solution should be achieved.
Mr Froome's suggestion that a long shingle and sand bank should have been introduced on this site is interesting but there is insufficient shingle and sand on the beach in this area. The inadequate volume of shingle here is one of the factors in the damage sustained to the wall early in 2014. It would take a vast volume of shingle and smaller beach stone/sand to build the type of slope Mr Froome suggests. There is no area in Guernsey which has an excess of shingle or sand which could be transferred to Bulwer Avenue. All beach stone and sand is essential to maintain the integrity of the existing coastal defences around the island.
During December works were undertaken to draw up shingle and sand to protect the eroded earth bank at the edge of the grassland at Les Banques. This was to a height of only 1.5m at its highest and there was barely sufficient beach material there to complete the task in that area.
Beach stone and sand could be imported to install a long slope but this would be at cost far in excess of the works recently undertaken. In addition any proposal to import beach material from outside the island must always be very carefully considered on its individual merits as imported material can have a devastating effect on the natural habitat with inevitable consequences for local wildlife. The main recreational area of a well-known south coast resort is 're-nourished' for coastal defence purposes with sand dredged from the English Channel. Whilst the beach has an aesthetically attractive appearance of golden (though gritty) sand the beach is almost devoid of any invertebrates, shells, or other sign of life. As a result there is virtually no bird life to be seen along this beach and any sighting of small crabs or other sea creatures of the inter-tidal zone are very rare.
Contact Information:
Environmental Services Unit
Environment Department
Tel: 717200
