North Essex: former coastal protection worker has fears over dredging work (From Gazette)

North Essex: former coastal protection worker has fears over dredging work

12:00pm Thursday 2nd October 2008 in

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FEARS have been raised that a sea wall and even a road could collapse because of dredging work being carried out.

Don Barker, of Harbour Crescent, Harwich, used to work as a coastal protection worker for Tendring Council.

About 20 years ago he helped remove roughly a 400-yard stretch of groynes between the end of Barrack Lane, Dovercourt, and a ramp on Harwich beach.

The area was due to be regroyned and recharged with sand, but Mr Barker said this never happened.

Now he fears if something is not done, the road he lives in could fall victim to the sea.

He said: “Up until now we have lost about 4ft of sand and infill, and the footings of the wall are being undercut.

“The beach is just going. Because of the dredging at Felixstowe, all the soft stuff is being dragged over there and Harwich beach is getting lower and lower.

“One day the wall will collapse. It might not be in my lifetime but that wall will collapse.

“Right behind the promenade is Harbour Crescent.

“If the sea wall goes, the promenade and then the road will go, but no-one seems to want to do anything about it,” he added.

“Simple solution – regroyne the area and recharge the beach,” he said.

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council’s communications manager, said the council carried out work to stabilise those particular defences opposite Harbour Crescent about two years ago.

“The council continues to monitor the structures regularly, as it does elsewhere along the Tendring coastline,” he said.

“A great deal of money has been spent in Harwich reinforcing the sea defences and this particular site is not a priority concern at this time.

“There are other areas of the district’s sea defences which are currently in greater need of attention, and efforts are being made to secure the funding needed to carry out this work.”