COAST EROSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10231, 14 August 1911, Page 2

COAST EROSION.

BRITAIN'S.GAINS AND LOSSES

ROYAL COMMISSION'S REPORT. Tho notion entertained in some quarters that the British Lies stand in danger of serious diminution in ore a owing to tho action of the sea if; not bar no out by the Royal Commission on Coast .Erosion whose final report has now been issued. After an exhaustive inquiry and consultation with the best expert opinion available, tiio Commissioners, presided ovvr by Lord Ash by ct jjcugern, na»'e unanimously come to the following general conclusions; - 1 i. While some localities, especially on tho east coast of England, have surfered s-jriously from th« encroachment of the sea, " fvora a national pr>int oi view tho extent of the erosion need not bo considered alarming." 2. Within a period on the average of about thirty-five years, looking at area alone without regard to value_, about 6030 acres have been lost to tho United Kingdom, while 48,000 acres have been gaintd. I'iio gain, which, it is pointed out, is so graaual as scarcely to attract notice, has been almost entirely in tidal estuaries, while, on the other hand, the loss on the open coast is intermittent, and when it takes place largo slices may bo removed at on© tiine, and so give an exaggerated idea as to its relative importance. i\iO'.v the different parts of the United Kingdom have fared in the average period of thirty-five years is shown by tho following statement of loss by erosion with th© total and net accretion: — Loss. Gc.in. Acre?. Acres. England and "Wa-les . 4.832 35,441 Scotland . . • 815 4.704 Ireland < . . 3,132 7,8.5':) 6,639 43,Citt The gained lands included those formed by natural accretion as well as those artificially reclaimed from the St'a. The most serious loss from erosion in the United Kingdom takes place in Yorkshire from Bridlington to Spurn Head. In the following statement are shown the chief losses in that and other English counties in the periods shown: Acres. Period. Lost. Yorkshire . . . IS4S-1833 774 Line .In . . • 18 r 3-190S 400 Norfolk . . . 18S3-190S 333 Suffolk . . . 1873-130-1 Essex . . • 1572-ISS6 463 Kent . . . IS-S-IiKW 526 Sussex . . . 1871 •1536 371 Hnmpsbir* . • 1S 0-1537 138 Ch* shire . . - 1370-1838 101 Jiftnof.shiT© . • 184-2-1*93 543 Cumberland • • 1639-1899 '277 With tho exception of Suffolk, with a not loss of oOi acres, Kent with < acres and Cheshire witiv 45 acres, the amount of land gained lias been largely in excess of that lost. In Yorkshire •twere uus ueen a gain yt" 2no acres; M Lincoln 9106; in Norfolk 3480; in Eo.sex 562; in Sussex 1108; in .Hampshire Soii; iu ijancasiure yo'wu, and in 1096. A gain of land amounting to over 1000 acres has occurred in iNorthumberland and Durham. Iu AY a ios, while Carmarthen lost 131 acr-.js beowoen lri<B and J. 900, it gained 61)6 acr©3 and Glamorganshire has gained over lOiX) acres. The chief loss in Scotland has been in Elginshire (143 acres;. Aberdeen (140 acres), and Dumfries (119 acres). In Ireland the chief losses have been fui.siaim dby Wexford (360 acres) and Cork (343 acres). As mentioned, the coast- of Yorkshire suffers the most seriously from erosion. On the coast of Holderness, between Flainborough Head and Spurn Point, a distance of forty miles, there is an average loss of between two and four yards por annum. One witu-ess beioro the Royal Commission estimated that since the first Roman invasion 110 square miles of land had been lost, and another gave it as his opinion that since the time of the Romans a strip of land two or three miles broad may have disappeared. Twelve towns and villages are Known to have been washed away. The coast line between Yarmouth and the entrance to the Thames has lost more than any other part of the coast, except, perhaps, Holderness, during historical times. The rate of encroachment at various points on the coast may be set out as follows j

Per annum. Holderness . • , . 2to 4yd» Hunstanton .... 9in to Ift Wells to Cley (Norfolk) . . Ito '2ft Hastings Cliils . , . 2to 3ft Bsachy Head Win Cuckmere ttaven .... ISin Newlißven io Brighton . Ift Oin to sft Highcliffe Castle lHants) . . 4yds Hcswall (Cheshire) .... 2yds Walnc-y Isltind (Lanes.) . . . 3ft

As> to the causes of erosion, tlio greiu losses oil the east eotist are principally due to geological formations. In places (as in .Deaeliey Jtiead,) erc-sion has been caused by atmospheric as well as sva action. The erection of sea del'ences iii some places, as in tlii southern resorts, has acted pibjudicially elsewhere by hampering tno travoJ. of shingle and sand, the natural protection of the coasts. The removal of materials from many parts of the shores in the kingdom and the dredging of material from below low water maris have resulted in much erosion on neighbouring parts of the coast, and thd removal by (parrying operations from between tide marks of rocks in situ and large boulders has also frequently led to serious injury. A certain amount ot erosion is beneficial, inasmuch as it supplies shingle, which, as seated, is a protective agency. The principal recommendations of tne Commission are as follows; lhat the Board of Trado should be constituted the Central Sea-Defence Authority for the United Kingdom for the purpose of the administration of the coast lino in the interests of sea defence, and that further powers should be conferred upon that Board enabling it—(a) to control the removal of materials and the construction of works on the shores of tho jfingdom ; and (b) to supervise and assist, whore necessary, existing authorities concerned with coast protection, and to create new authorities representing all interests affected in particular areas where they may bo found requisite for the purpose cf sea defence. lhat the Board oi Trade, as the Central Sca-defence Authority, should be ompowerod to control the erection of any works or the deposit of any substance upon the shores of tho kingdom. That the Board should have power to assist associations formed to undertake schemes of reclamation.

That a clear riglit of passage bv foot upon all foreshores in the United Kingdom, whether Crown property or not, should be conferred upon the public, in addition to the lights of navigation and lishiiig which they already possess. This additional right, however, should be subject to the" power which should be conferred on the Board of T»-ndo of restricting its exercise in certain districts. As regards the public use of the foreshore for further purposes, sucjj as those of bathing, riding, driving, collecting seaweed, etc., the' Board of Trade should be empowered by Order to define such public user and its extent in localities where it m;;v bcdesirable in the public interest that it should be exercisable, with power to put limitations on such user if necessary. *

That if the powers suggested be conferred upon the Board of Trade in the interests of sea-dd'oneo, the Department should, in addition to expert advice, have the assistance of scientific experts. Incident-ally, it is mentioned that the preservation of sand dunes is of great importance along certain parts of the const, and care should be taken to encourage tile growth of marram nnd other grasses, which help to bind the sand. It is added that the flourishing plantations of pine trees on sand-hills along the Moray Firth suggest. 1 hat such trees could he advantageously grown on sand in oilier areas, especially on the south and west cogsU of Kiig'iuid.