What we are about !
Our aim is to make sure that any Coastal Protection Scheme for Gorleston-on-Sea proposed by the Great Yarmouth Borough Council is in accordance with the wishes of local residents.
The 'Reef' scheme proposed by GYBC was rejected by the residents of Gorleston at two meetings one in September 2004 and the follow up meeting in March 2005. The Council to their credit listened to resident's objections and revised their plans accordingly. We are now in September 2005 and it transpires that John Hemsworth has been too busy to progress the Coastal Protection Scheme for Gorleston (See correspondence with GYBC September 9th 2005). There is an urgent need for the Environment Agency to start monitoring Gorleston Beach.
Recently there has been a build up of shingle on Gorleston Beach. This shingle now stretches continually from just south of the Cafe to Hopton and beyond. Where is it coming from??
At the "State of the Council" meeting (October 3rd 2005) the Leader of the Executive Cabinet (GYBC), Barry Coleman stated that he was certain the Eastport harbour scheme will now go ahead. There are supposed to be safeguards in place to ensure that the Harbour will not have a detrimental affect on Gorleston Beach. How can this be judged if the Council are not monitoring Gorleston Beach. It is plain that the Council will not be in a position to get any compensation from Eastport as they will have no proof of the state of the beach before the development, during the development and after the development.
GYBC promised to employ the Environmental Agency in monitoring Gorleston Beach but this has not happened, so it is as well that we began our own bi-monthly beach monitoring programme in April 2005. Which takes the form of a photographic record from fixed points along the beach.
