January 2013, Tendring District Council have announced their plan to restore beach at Clacton and Holland. The photo accompanying the press release clearly shows effect on the beach of the lack of groynes.
South of the pier there is a good beach. The sea is at the far end of the groyne, which is at least 150 yards long.
Yet a little north of the pier the sea as at the sea wall, as it is further north near the sailing club. Note this is NOT HIGH TIDE, as there is about 150 yards of beach south of the pier.
The only way this can happen is for the beach to be lower north of the pier.
Why is the beach lower?
- Lack of groynes
- The groynes which are there lower than the sea level at high tide
The aerial photograph was not taken at high tide, here are two photographs I took from the pier at high tide. Both photos were taken within about 30 seconds. I pointed the camera in one direction and took a photo, turned around and took another.
Looking south from the pier you can see a beach. Note the band of dry sand in front of the sea wall. Also note you can see groynes are above the sea
Looking north from the pier
The sea is right against the sea wall
No groynes can be seen, either they are submerged or destroyed.
Is there really no relationship between the state of groynes and the state of the beach?
From 2001 DEFRA/EA have only funded emergency repairs to the sea wall. This money has been wasted as repairing the sea wall, or putting rocks in front of it does nothing to stop the destructive effective of the sea.
The only way I know of to protect a sea wall is to build proper groynes which will cause a bank of dry sand to form in front of the sea wall which prevents the sea from reaching the wall. You can see examples of this south of Clacton pier.
What can go wrong
It is curious having spent nearly 12 years without repairing or renewing groynes the new plan is to build groynes.
Yet work is not scheduled to start before 2015 at earliest.
Will the sea wall survey till then.
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