U-turn over breakwater plan
FLOOD defence bosses have refloated the idea of Hayling getting a breakwater which will not only protect the Island's south eastern shore, but also provide a major tourism and regeneration boost.
Just two months ago, the Islander reported that man behind the ambitious breakwater scheme – round-the-world sailor Alan Priddy – had all but abandoned his original concept of having two arms of boulders extending out to sea for a mile at Eastoke.
He believes that would not only stop a storm surge and the constant tidal scouring of the shingle beach, but also provide an inlet which could provide a sandy beach and safe watersports facilities.
That followed news that the Environment Agency was pressing ahead with a 7.2million scheme to toughen up the Eastoke sea defences with rock revetments and rebuilt wooden groynes, while ploughing ahead with the five-year 2.5million shingle replenishment scheme, which has been used to replace the stones washed away by the tide twice a day, from 2008-13.
But a leaked letter from James Humphrys – the Environment Agency's area manager - surfaced on the internet in April – in which he informed Havant MP David Willetts that the EA would now reconsider a breakwater proposal.
Mr Priddy, who gave an update on his proposals at last month's Hayling Island Residents' Association meeting, unaware of the letter's contents, repeated his view as reported in our March edition that he would be prepared to revisit the idea but felt his original vision was "dead in the water."
Now though, he is excited by the Environment Agency's apparent U-turn and believes he can convince the government-funded agency that his scheme will provide the "best value" for taxpayers by protecting the Island and offering opportunities to attracts scores of daytrippers and holidaymakers to restore some of Hayling's lost tourism income since its hey day in the 1970s.
He told the Islander: "This letter has both comes as a bit of bombshell and a great relief.
"I always said the Environment Agency's own scheme would probably do the job of protecting that part of the Island, but it did absolutely nothing to help improve Hayling's economic and social fabric.
"I did have a problem with the EA just recycling the shingle from one of the beach to the other every year however, and that was just going to be chucking good money after bad, literally into the sea.
"I am prepapred to put in the time to go though the full public consultation exercise now, and work with both Lyall Cairns, at the borough council, and the EA to see if we can now build a breakwater that everyone is happy with.
"I repeat I am not doing this for my personal financial benefit or for any of the different companies I am involved in. I want to see Hayling have a better future, because I care about the Island and its future."
The Islander contacted the EA to confirm the authenticity of the letter.
When asked why the agency had now decided to reconsider the breakwater option, John O'Flynn, the area flood and coastal risk manager, denied that it had not considered Mr Priddy's proposals seriously enough when they were announced at the start of 2009.
He said: "Last year we were working on the protection plan for the eastern Solent – we had not started working on the protection plan for Hayling Island itself.
"We have just started doing that now and as part of the public consultation process we are prepared to look at all the options.
"There are a number of technical issues involved in assessing the cost of a breakwater."
He added that Environment Agency would need "very detailed information" about the exact depth of water involved and create models which replicated the currents in both strength and direction to ensure any breakwater would do what it was intended to do, while not creating any other problems with erosion further along the shore.
The Islander also revealed in March that former Isle of Wight ferry captain Walter Charsville had suggested a scheme to create two inland lagoons in both Langstone and Chichester Harbour, which would be effectively dammed, with new road links off the Island to Portsmouth and West Sussex.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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