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RIVER DEFENCE COMMITTEE

The River Defence Committee

The Alde and Ore Association set up the Alde River Defence Committee in April 2007. Its mission is to ensure that the banks and saltings of the Alde and Ore rivers are maintained in good order so that, in the event of a major surge, while they may be over topped, they will not be breached.

Recent events have shown how vital it is to have such a local committee with a team of volunteers, each of whom looks after a stretch of the river. Together we produce an annual report on the state of all the privately owned banks of the river. Additional reports are produced after a major event such as occurred on 9^th November.

We work closely with the Environment Agency, seeking to persuade them to act when needed. Recently they have recharged the shingle near the Martello Tower and they are also currently undertaking work to raise the wall on the Aldeburgh Town Marsh. However, the UK government’s budget for flood defence for the whole country is only £500 million, and unlike Belgium and Holland, our government does not have a constitutional duty to protect us from flooding.

The Environment Agency is currently developing its long-term plans for managing our rivers and coastline. The first of these very costly plans, for the Blyth, was published last month and proposes that many of that river’s walls should be left unmaintained. The plan for the Alde and Ore is expected by the end of 2008 and a similar outcome is feared.

So what can we do to ensure that our walls, which have served us so well for so long, are kept in good order? Firstly, the Alde and Ore Association are building as large a local membership as possible to bring pressure to bear on the decision makers in government. Secondly, we do recognize that there will never be enough money to do all the work required so we are developing a ‘protocol’ under which landowners, through minor works, can maintain their own river walls. Finally, we are helping to develop new technology, which, in the future, might provide inexpensive defences.

Our rivers, along with the coastline are the defining natural features for our region. We all share a responsibility to look after them so that future generations can enjoy their unique character, as we in our turn have been privileged to do.

RICHARD MARSON

CHAIRMAN OF THE ALDE AND ORE ASSOCIATION'S RIVER DEFENCE COMMITTEE - Tel: 01728 452696 Email: richard@marson.name

Link to River Defence Committee Bulletins

River Defence Bulletin December 2007 (This may take a little time to download particularly if you do not have Broadband)