Forthcoming EA Meetings
The Environment Agency are inviting all those impacted and concerned with the catastrophic December North Sea Surge that inflicted such massive erosion and flood damage to so many businesses, homes and wildlife sites along the East Anglian Coastline to a Q & A session at Great Yarmouth Town Hall from 2.30 – 7.00 pm on Friday 31st January. Mike King, Pat Gowen and a number of us concerned with the growing impact of ongoing offshore aggregate and the escalating erosion are planning to arrive at 2.30 pm when the event opens.
This should provide us with an opportunity to voice our concern(s) and ask lots of questions on the undemocratic enforcement and implementation of the Shoreline Management Plan e.g. aiding and abetting the loss of vital coastal areas and the failure to maintain sea defences along critical stretches of our coastline, despite the fact that when this SMP was circulated for public consultation during 2006 there resulted more than 2,400 responses in opposition with only four in favour.
We can also debate the failure to protect from major surge events, the lack of prior warning given to some, the continuing granting of licences to dredge aggregate from offshore areas, the cause of the escalating erosion, the failure to recognise erosion as distinct from flooding, the lack of provision of sea defences, etc. etc.
In addition to the Great Yarmouth event similar Q & A sessions are planned over coastal Norfolk and Suffolk, the next being on 13th February at Blakeney Village Hall, on 18th February at Waldring Field, 19th February at Orford, 20th February at Snape, 21st February at Woodbridge and 24 February at Hollesley.
It is hoped that as many of you concerned members, readers and supporters will attend so that The Environment Agency are made fully aware of our concerns.
