COLCHESTER CITY COUNCIL SETS ZERO BUDGET FOR SEA DEFENCE
Last week Conservative City councillors proposed spending £150,000 to develop a proper strategy for sea defence. It’s an urgent need – sea level is currently rising at 4mm a year and the mid-range projections from the UK’s climate change committee expect it to rise by another 25-35cm in the next 25 years. That is expected to massively increase the extent of both coastal erosion and flooding.
It won’t just affect Mersea, but also places like Rowhedge and Wivenehoe – currently represented by Labour and Lib-Dem Councillors, not to mention the Hythe flooding far more often when the tide comes in.
However, what should really concern us is that the present rise in sea level will mean that in a few years the sea walls built immediately after the 1953 floods, will start to be regularly overtopped. Those floods were a 1:50 year probability at the time, but because sea level has risen 20cm since then, they are already now a 1:10 year probability.
Yet, almost all Labour, Lib-Dem and Green Councillors, voted against spending even this relatively modest amount on sea defence - with the courageous exception of Wivenhoe Councillor Sean Kelly. Instead, they voted for a budget which allocates £400,000+ for tackling the global climate emergency, while setting a zero budget for local sea defence.
Labour Councillor Lee Scordis, cabinet member for the environment whose job description specifically includes ‘sea defence’, even claimed it wasn’t worth spending £150,000 on sea defence, despite himself being both city and county councillor for the Hythe.
As Conservatives we would like to reassure local residents, including those most affected by rising sea levels in places like the Hythe, Rowhedge and Wivenhoe, as well as Mersea – that we will continue to champion this issue on your behalf.
Dr Martin Parsons
Conservative spokesman on sustainability and Councillor for Mersea and Pyefleet
Last week Conservative City councillors proposed spending £150,000 to develop a proper strategy for sea defence. It’s an urgent need – sea level is currently rising at 4mm a year and the mid-range projections from the UK’s climate change committee expect it to rise by another 25-35cm in the next 25 years. That is expected to massively increase the extent of both coastal erosion and flooding.
It won’t just affect Mersea, but also places like Rowhedge and Wivenehoe – currently represented by Labour and Lib-Dem Councillors, not to mention the Hythe flooding far more often when the tide comes in.
However, what should really concern us is that the present rise in sea level will mean that in a few years the sea walls built immediately after the 1953 floods, will start to be regularly overtopped. Those floods were a 1:50 year probability at the time, but because sea level has risen 20cm since then, they are already now a 1:10 year probability.
Yet, almost all Labour, Lib-Dem and Green Councillors, voted against spending even this relatively modest amount on sea defence - with the courageous exception of Wivenhoe Councillor Sean Kelly. Instead, they voted for a budget which allocates £400,000+ for tackling the global climate emergency, while setting a zero budget for local sea defence.
Labour Councillor Lee Scordis, cabinet member for the environment whose job description specifically includes ‘sea defence’, even claimed it wasn’t worth spending £150,000 on sea defence, despite himself being both city and county councillor for the Hythe.
As Conservatives we would like to reassure local residents, including those most affected by rising sea levels in places like the Hythe, Rowhedge and Wivenhoe, as well as Mersea – that we will continue to champion this issue on your behalf.
Dr Martin Parsons
Conservative spokesman on sustainability and Councillor for Mersea and Pyefleet
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