Conservation Group pledges support for the Cuckmere
Local conservation group, the South Downs Society, has this week responded to a major consultation on the future of the much-loved Cuckmere Estuary from government’s flood and coastal defence body, the Environment Agency, by taking a long-term view of the management of the Estuary and giving cautious support to the idea of letting the river return to doing what comes naturally.
The Environment Agency believes that a continuation of the engineering approach to managing flood risk in the estuary is no longer sustainable, either financially or environmentally, and that the effect of rising sea levels and climate change on time-expired river banks means that things cannot remain the same. Either the defences will have to be raised over and over again to the detriment of local views and wildlife, and with potentially disastrous implications if they should ever fail, or a more radical approach needs to be adopted, allowing the river to return to its former meandering course, with the river floodplain fulfilling its role of accommodating flood waters.
The South Downs Society has accepted the Agency’s view but is arguing strongly that something far better than just allowing the river banks to fall down is required.
“This landscape is one of the most well known in the whole of the South Downs” says Society chairman John Songhurst, “and only the best possible solution will suffice. We don’t believe in building ever higher flood defences and we accept that change is necessary, but we have said to the Environment Agency that a minimalist approach of just withdrawing from maintenance of the banks isn’t an option either. We would like to see the retention of a clearly visible set of meanders and a grazing regime on the valley floor if at all possible and we want an excellent network of footpaths retained, with permanent access to the beach and replacement paths for any that may be lost. And we wish to see the canoe barn and its car park protected. The Society’s support depends on this enhanced package of measures being implemented.”
The Society has said that it intends to help deliver these improvements.
Said Society Planning Officer, Steve Ankers, “ We are keen to work with the Agency and others to develop this package of measures over and above what the Agency itself is able to fund. We want the Agency itself to find extra cash to reflect the national importance of this precious landscape, but we believe that bodies like ours and other local stakeholders can also play a part. And we will be carefully monitoring any change!”
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For further information, please contact Steve Ankers, Planning Officer, tel: 01798 875073 or Jacquetta Fewster, Director, tel 01798 875073 or 0780 1233582.
Notes for Editors
· The South Downs Society is a charity set up to conserve and enhance the beauty and amenities of the South Downs for the benefit of the public. It was established in 1923 and successfully defeated proposals for unsuitable coastal development overlooking the famous Seven Sisters area.
· The Society strongly supports the Government’s proposals to make the South Downs a National Park. Currently two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty exist in the South Downs: East Hampshire and the Sussex Downs.
· The Environment Agency is inviting comments until 10 December on its draft flood risk management strategy for the Cuckmere estuary. There is a display about the strategy at the Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Centre and the project team will be present on Thursday 15 November 4pm to 8pm, and on Saturday 17 November 11am to 5pm. Comments or questions to the Agency by email : cuckmere.estuary@ environment-agency.gov.uk or by writing to :
Environment Agency
Saxon House
Little High Street
Worthing
West Sussex
BN11 1DH