|
|
|||||||||
No. 9 July 2001
Heavy Winter rain takes its toll.
The Naze cliffs erode by a two-fold effect, the slippage of upper parts of the cliff over the London clay layer lubricated by surface and ground water, and the removal of material from the foot of the cliffs by the sea. This winter the substantial rainfall has caused a greater than normal slippage of sections of cliff, particularly at the Tower groyne and mid-way between there and the northern end (see pictures). The normal high and vicious winter tides have done their worst and carried away tons of the Naze.
Via the local MP both the Environmental and Heritage departments of the Government has been written to asking for action to save the Naze and the Naze Tower, which is a listed building. The environmental department confirmed its approval for the agreed three hard point scheme to retard erosion but will not finance it saying action needs to come from Tendring District Council. The Heritage department say it is concerned about losing the Tower but cannot do anything because it is down to the environmental department to do something. They also say Tendring District Council should be the organisation taking the initiative. The Chief Executive of Tendring District Council and others have been written to about the major slippages and asking what they intend to do but they still await the results of research expected in spring 2002. There is a real danger then that they will use results to discredit the currently approved scheme and want to spend more time and money investigating and getting approved alternative schemes. From past experience this could well take 5 to 10 years in which time the Tower will be lost together with more acres of the Naze.
If you are concerned please write to the Chief Executive of Tendring District Council at the Town Hall Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1SE, or your MP telling them of your concern and asking what they intend to do and when.
|
Another huge piece of the Naze cliffs has slipped losing a further half acre of public amenity space and causing Tendring District Council to create a new path along the cliff because of the danger to the public. The slippage was at the spot where the centre hard point of the approved coastal defence scheme was to have been erected for which Tendring District Council would not support a submission for lottery funds. This hard point would have saved this from happening. The cliff edge at the Tower groyne is now within 25m from the cafe. The cliff edge at this point is now estimated to be around 100m back from the end of the existing sea defence constructed in 1977. This means that erosion here is 4m a year and the cafe and the tower near to it, a Grade II listed building, are in serious danger of being lost in the next two or three years unless something is done soon. The submission of a lottery bid to secure the funds necessary to implement the approved three hard point scheme to save the Naze was reported in the previous newsletter. Following the refusal of the Officers of Tendring District Council to support a lottery bid the Elected Councillors were written to and asked to use their powers to reverse this decision. Whilst the local Frinton and Walton Town Council were fully supportive, the Planning and Technical committee of the District Council submitted to the recommendation of their Council Officers and voted against supporting the bid. Whereas the Council will always pay lip service to saving the Naze, when action is required nothing is done only that which is forced upon them. 
|
The new Save the Naze shop next to Woolworths in the High Street goes from strength to strength. New Volunteers Terry and Jan Dunning have created a very tidy shop with excellent quality clothes and bric-a-brac all of which is sold at ridiculously low prices. As a result the society funds are growing at a fast rate and now stand at over 000. Anglia Television did a programme on the Naze some months ago and the Naze walks given by our Mike Todd were featured. Mike works from the Save the Naze caravan that continues to provide an excellent information point for the many visitors to the Naze. Society Information packs, sweat shirts and sports shirts are sold from the caravan. |