Below is our latest reply and images sent to the Environment Agency regarding our Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint and Alan Cadas very swift and welcome reply.
"Dear Mr. Cadas,
Thank you for your reply.
We very much appreciate your response to our complaint and grievances. This will be discussed at our next open meeting next Tuesday.
We are also thankful that you will ensure we are contacted in plenty of time to enable us to work together with RCBC, EA and Birse to reach a solution to rid our beach of the incredible amount of debris left behind.
With respect, we have always accepted that there had been masonry on the beach along the promenade previous to your work being carried out. However this was sporadic and a minor issue along the sea defences. We'd agree that the old defences required repair and updating and had had previous touch ups.
However, having used the beach for many years and spending summers down there with my children (barefooted), as well as jogging across the beach on a weekly basis, I can advise you that prior to your work the old sea defences were not as suggested in your picture. The image portrayed was not observed by anyone we've spoken to including fishermen, RNLI employees, beachcombers or residents who walk their dogs on a daily basis prior to your work beginning. I was certainly on the beach in the months before work commenced and my experience and memory is the same.
Secondly this image is isolated in an area near the Park Hotel where the issue is not such a concern. I want to show you some images that reveal that 1. We're not just talking about brick and concrete - there is building felts and fabrics, buried bags of set concrete, buried bags of building sand, iron rods etc and 2. Much of the masonry is not just from the break up of the old defences but is new as it has nylons for strength (not used in the previous decades).
If you ever get the opportunity to come to Redcar we would welcome you to join us and view the damaging effect our beach has been left to bear. We are certain that you would recognise that the clean up operation was wholly inadequate and that much of the material belongs to Birse as well as what was broken up by them.
Between our group and the RCBC alone we must have already cleared coming on 40 tonnes between us. This doesn't include what Birse managed to do in their own 'sweeps'. This in itself should suggest to you that the clean up effort was not good enough. Our beach is still littered with so much of this material that parts of our beach along the defences is dangerous and unusable. It is far too much a burden for our small group to manage without heavy gear, diggers and tools."
"Dear Carl
Thank you for your reply.
I will try to come to Redcar for the walkover with Birse and Redcar and Cleveland Council so we can meet and discuss further. James - can you include me in the invite please.
If I am not available for that date I will arrange a separate visit.
The erosion in the photo I sent was repaired as emergency works by the council very shortly after it happened which might explain why not many people witnessed it.
Hope to meet soon. In the meantime please contact me again if you need anything further.
Regards
Alan"
For the rest of this series check the links below. We'll as always keep you posted.
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