Flood Risk and Coastal Environment

Flood Risk

The natural beauty of Cornwalls' coves and coastline are among the reasons why it is loved by locals and draws tourists in their thousands. Setting a precedent of building on beaches seems to run counter not only to current environmental thinking but also against very reason why tourists visit the county.

The risk of flooding is a very real threat. Carlyon Bay Beach has been flooded at regular intervals within recent living memory.

A report published in May 2004 by Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientist, highlights the folly of the proposed beach development.The report, produced by Sir David and a panel of sixty experts, makes clear that the likelihood of flooding and coastal erosion in Cornwall and similar parts of the UK has been seriously underestimated. The map indicating areas at risk clearly shows that parts of Cornwall such as St.Austell Bay are in the danger zone.

The report provides strong evidence supporting our repeated concerns about the risk of flooding at the site of the proposed Ampersand development and reinforces our alarm that that the proposed mile long sea wall at Carlyon Bay will have an adverse knock-on effect upon the Par River estuary and the St.Blazey Flood-Plain.

In response to concern expressed at the planning meeing on April 22nd 2003, Restormel Borough Council did receive a report commissioned on behalf of Ampersand by Jacksons Civil Engineering entitled 'Coastal Protection Flood Risk Assessment' by H.R Wallingford. It explores aspects of the Sea Wall construction, but does not constitute the full Environmental Flood Risk Assessment requested by English Nature and Friends of the Earth at that time.

Mr Alan Francis, a member of CarlyonBayWatch with expert knowledge on the subject, obtained a copy of the Wallingford Report and analysed it. He prepared a thorough and well informed response in which he questions many aspects of the report and highlights a number of serious omissions which could have disastrous repercussions for the stability of the beach and the buildings proposed on it. Study his findings in the Download <<< link to http://newcbw.velomatic.com/download/>>>> section of the web site.

As Britains coastal waters threaten to rise with global warming, it is our opinion that the extant planning permission, granted in 1988, under a different set of environmental conditions, but upon which the current Ampersand Proposals are based, would not be granted today.

Over 90% of Crinnis Beach will be covered with a high density of buildings and concrete. The implementation of the Consent, granted without the benefit of either an Environmental Impact Assessment or a Flood Risk Assessment has serious and long term implications. It was granted in the teeth of the strongest possible advice from County Highways about the serious traffic problems which will ensue and will mean that well over a mile of natural Cornish coastline will be lost for ever.

Coastal Environment

As we are all becoming aware, the coastal environment is a fragile and dynamic one. To ignore this would seem to be hubris in the extreme. The potential damaging, but localised effects of adding 'stent' to the beach re-charge at Carlyon Bay is explored on the Wildlife <<<< LInk both words to the new Wildlife page>>> page in this section, but below you can read about the wider coastal management issues raised by the beach development plans.

With the threat of climate change and global warming, the title of the Governments Consultation document on managing flood risk and coastal erosion, 'Making Space for Water,' speaks volumes in itself. Water is coming and there is not much we can do but make space for it. Plans to build a residential development on the beach at Carlyon Bay seem to go against current thinking on building near our coastline.

On January 20th 2005, coastal management expert Dr Bob Earll, condemned the Carlyon Bay beach development as an example of bad practice to an audience of over 300 delegates from all over the country.

"Recent studies show that changing wave regimes in relation to climate change will mean that many Cornish beaches, upon which tourism in that region depends, are going to lose sand and become rocky platform. Building on a dynamic coastline such as that which exists in Cornwall is seriously problematic for all those concerned. Building there without knowing exactly how and by whom ongoing management is to be executed and funded is short-sighted in the extreme. There are many reasons why it is bad practice. With regard to the beaches at Carlyon Bay, there are so many parts of this project which are unacceptable that it is time to think again."

Dr Bob Earl, of Coastal Management for Sustainability, to the conference Coastal Futures 2005, January 20th 2005

Such expert opinions confirm what CBW has been saying all along. The size, nature and potential impact of the proposed Beach development and the Sea Wall upon which it depends, should not only be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, but to a full Public Inquiry and a complete review.

"Erosion by wave action and the stream flow onto the beach, together with some eastwards drift towards Spit Beach, may therefore be gradually removing the artificially constructed beach...The sand level on the beach varies because of large scale movements from west to east and vice versa, depending on prevailing winds, particularly storms. Observation over many years indicates that....Because of the overall tendency of eastward drift, a small part of the area at the east end of Carlyon Bay Beach which was given planning permission for development about 15 years ago now lies permanently within the area affected by wave action during spring tides."

'Geoscience in the South West 10, 373 -376' 'Field Excursion to the Area of St Austell Bay between Carlyon Bay and Par, 2nd January 2002' . Extracts of a Paper presented to the Proceedings of the Ussher Society by CM Bristow and HCL James

There is significant evidence that sand scour and tidal drift, exacerbated by the steel shuttering on the beach, have already caused the build up of sand banks in the bay. The pictures speak for themselves, but if you want further clarification, have a look at Dr Mike Fennesseys report on the Download <<< link to http://newcbw.velomatic.com/download/>>>> pages.

Meanwhile, committed locals are continuing to monitor and record the movement and build up of sand from Crinnis beach particularly its effect on Par Harbour and Booley Beach.

PICTURES OF SANDBANKS

Surely Carlyon Bay, St Austell Bay and south Cornwall as a whole do not want or need the potential liabilities of a costly coastal management time-bomb our Borough Council set ticking in 1989 with the initial planning permission?