HIGHER FLOOD BANKS WIN SUPPORT

Members of the planning committee on Wednesday last week felt it was the best proposal under the circumstances to keep the Haven as it is today.

The plan is to raise the banks of the 19th century canalised river, adjacent to the Golden Galleon public house, by some 300mm.

The flood protection banks are relatively straight, man-made features, running either side of the channelled main course of the river.

The banks also double up as footpaths, giving access from Exceat Bridge to the beach and coastal paths,

A new bird hide would be constructed.

The applicant saw this scheme as a 'reasonable and benign alternative to flooding the valley, even under conditions of sea level rise'.

But members also heard that the Environment Agency objected on the grounds that the scheme 'does not deliver sustainable development and constrains natural processes'.

English Nature also objects, claiming that inter-tidal habitats would be lost through 'coastal squeeze' and encroachment of the work into an area of special scientific interest.

The committee resolved to grant conditional planning permission, contrary to the officers' recommendation.

However, because English Nature objected, the application has to be referred to that body before permission can actually be issued.

English Nature will then decide whether to ask the Government Office of the South East to call it in for a public inquiry.