Exploring the Bournemouth Coast Path

A man was stuck in the mud at Sheps Hollow in Swanage this weekend.

When walking out of Swanage it is best to take note of closed areas.

Scientist Alan Heasman claims he can prove that the wind turbines planned off the Bournemouth coast will appear substantially taller than has been shown by the promotors.

The Environment Agency has launched a six week public consultation on future plans for managing tidal flood risk and coastal erosion along part of the Bournemouth Coast Path.

The draft Poole and Wareham Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy looks at predicted sea levels over the next century.

Maps show potential coastal erosion between Durlston Head in the west to Hengistbury Head in the east.

BOURNEMOUTH

Whilst the Poole Bay cliffs could fall back if there were no defences it is Hengistbury Head which has always been the big concern within Bournemouth. However risk of breaching at Double Dykes is found to be relatively low.

Annual damage to over 2,000 beach huts along the Bournemouth frontage could be likely by 2030 with residential and commercial properties at risk by 2110. The recommendation is to upgrade the terminal groyne at Hengistbury Head and replace the
timber groynes along the frontage as this becomes necessary. The beach will also need to be maintained with sand periodically.

SANDBANKS

At Sandbanks 490 properties are at risk from coastal erosion. A breach across the spit would be likely by 2030 if erosion was not managed. Here the recommendation is to maintain groynes that control beach erosion

The nearby Luscombe Valley would, without defences, have a five per cent chance of annual flooding

STUDLAND

As already announced the plan agreed with the National Tust landowners is to work towards ‘no active intervention’.

SWANAGE

At least 11 properties at the northern approach are at risk from coastal erosion and land instability by 2030. This number increases to 47 by 2110. As found in December, surface water is more significant than tidal flood risk.

TAKING PART

“Rising sea levels and pressures on public spending mean that managing flood risk into the future will become increasingly challenging,” says Richard Cresswell, South West Director of the Environment Agency.

“The Strategy has built on the existing Shoreline Management Plans and this summary document sets out the Steering Group’s recommendation of what is required in the future.

“I hope people living in the coastal communities affected will add their comments to this Strategy consultation and help to shape the future of our coast. We need to consider all these interests and ensure we protect what is most valued. The coastline will change, as it has in the past, but we have the opportunity to influence how this happens.”

The draft strategy has been developed in partnership with the Environment Agency, Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Council, Poole Council, Purbeck District Council, Natural England, English Heritage, the National Trust, Poole Harbour Commissioners and the RSPB.

The consultation runs until Easter Monday 2013 and information can be viewed on the Environment Agency website.

The website includes the exhibition boards to be shown at a series of public drop-in sessions:

Thursday 28 February 1-5pm Dolphin Shopping Centre, Poole
Friday 1 March 1-6pm All Saints Church Hall, Swanage
Friday 8 March 1-6pm, Corn Exchange, Wareham
Tuesday 12 March 1-6pm, The Lighthouse, Poole

The wind farm planned off the Bournemouth coast is now subject to a third consultation which runs from this month to Easter.

The turbines are now to be 12 miles off shore rather than 10. But the coast is not straight so for example Christchurch Bay cliffs would be just over 9 miles away.

The entire Bournemouth Coast Path as well as the Swanage-Sandbanks SW Coast Path and the Pennington Marshes will have views of the turbines.

The power will be brought inland at Taddiford Gap and run underground by way of Hordle and Tiptoe to Avon Tyrrell in the Avon Valley.

EDF and its partner Eneco promoting the Navitus wind farm have now produced 3D models to indicate how the view. However the Challenge Navitus opposition group claim that the images are misleading and is now making available its own images.

The rival images can be seen online:

Navitus

Challenge Navitus

The IMAX, which has long blighted the coastal entrance to the entrance to Bournemouth’s main chine, is being demolished.

Work is under way and can be followed on the Bournemouth Council website.

Meanwhile the Echo has a report on the start of work.

But not everyone was delighted at the removal of ‘Britain’s ugliest building’.

Brian Jenner, founder of the UK Speechwriters’ Guild  and a resident, led a two person demonstration objecting to the very high cost of the demolition which he believes could have been a conference venue.

W A Hoodless kindly lists Bournemouth’s Who Was Who in the bibliography of his new book.

The author of Bournemouth Curiosities (The History Press £12.99) has chapters on odd topics. On the page looking at the theatre in Boscombe Manor, or Shelley Park, there is mention of the Norwegian sailor carried into the house on Boxing Day night 1852.

He came from a ship William Glen Anderson driven shore in  a Christmas storm. I did not know that the ship had broken away from its mooring in Studland Bay. The incident has always been a bit of  a mystery since the sailor had disappeared when Sir Percy Shelley woke up the next morning.

The Sunday evening ITV series Mr Selfridge will not feature Highcliffe Castle.

But ITV is intending to continue the story next year when there will be an opportunity to recall the time when Gordon Selfridge lived at Highcliffe Castle. He so loved the castle which he was renting that he planned to build his own castle on Hengistbury Head.

He even bought the land and commissioned architect Philip Tilden to design the monster Disney-style home.

Fortunately the store owner ran out of money. But he and his family are buried in St Mark’s chuchyard at Highcliffe.

The Bournemouth Evening Echo has been looking at the Selfridge links.

The cliff falls reported at Swanage have now proved to be more extensive with  a wide restricted area now declared to the north of the town.

Meanwhile this weekend’s New Milton Advertiser has  a picture of the slipping cliff at Barton-on-Sea where there have long been concerns about erosion.

Avon Beach, between Mudeford and Steamer Point Woods, has been sold.

The Derham family, which has been the owner the Avon Beach Company since 1934 and associated for even longer, is passing the beach to another family.

New owners Peter and Steve Hayward intend to continue serving breakfast at the cafe but start opening in the evening for dinner. Teas will also be available.

The beach bookshop is the best on the coast.

A cliff landslide near Sheps Hollow on the northern edge of Swanage has highlighted the dangerous state of the coast path.

The problems are caused by the sustained torrential rain and anyone walking from Swanage to Studland may have difficulties.

Poole Bay, Sandbanks to Hengistury Head, may prove safer although falls can happen anywhere.