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Published:
October
15,
2009
Burnham
sea wall will be replaced with 'far higher structure' in future
Burnham's
sea wall will need to be replaced "with a far higher structure"
to protect the town from coastal flooding in the future, the Environment
Agency revealed this week as it outlined its long-term proposals
for the next few decades.
Dozens
of Burnham-On-Sea residents, including Burnham-On-Sea.com, attended
a special meeting in the town's Princess Hall on Tuesday (October
13th), where the agency unveiled a draft version of its Somerset
Shoreline Management Plan, which outlines its plans for our coastal
defences.
 At
the event, the
Environment Agency's Angela Proctor said its recommended policy
for Burnham is to "continue to minimise the risk of erosion
and flooding, through a 'hold the line' policy."
"This
will likely involve the maintenance of the sea wall and embankment
defences along the open coast and the north bank of the River
Brue, as well as dune management at Berrow and Brean to reduce
the impacts of recreational pressure on the dunes."
Angela
Proctor also said that in the long term, "the sea wall at
Burnham will be replaced by a much larger structure when the existing
structure reaches the end of its effective life." There was
no indication of when this might be, although this could be more
than 40 years away.
It
added that higher defences may also be required along the north
bank of the River Brue to address the issue of sea level rises.
 Almost
100 people attended the event, including local county councillors
John Woodman and Alan Ham (pictured top with the EA's John Buttivant).
Cllr
Ham told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "Flooding is a great concern
for many people living across the Burnham area. It's often the
case that national plans do not take into consideration local
views, so it was good to see many people attending this event
and making their views known."
Project
manager Angela Proctor from the Environment Agency said: "It
is vital that we engage as many people as possible who have an
interest in this issue during these consultation events, to ensure
we are making informed and sustainable decisions."
For
further information on the Somerset Shoreline Management Plan,
including a copy of the draft document, visit here.
The three month public consultation period for Somerset runs until
January 8th, 2010.
Our
photo shows this week's event in Burnham-On-Sea and, above, a
stormy scene in Burnham last year
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