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22 Mar 07Beach Retention Project Continues Vital Work
Borough of Poole has received funding to continue vital work to retain sand on its beaches.
The £155,000 funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 
will allow Borough of Poole's Leisure Services to continue with phase two of a study to identify the most effective way to retain sand that was placed on Sandbanks beach in winter 2006.
Engineers from Italy, Holland and New Zealand were involved in the first stage of the study which considered more than 20 options. These have been whittled down to just four options. Three of these involve the layout of the groynes in varying lengths and spacing and one for submerged reefs.
If beach control structures in the form of groynes or reefs are not constructed, recently placed sand will erode during stormy periods, removing the beach and putting the promenade and cliffs under threat.
Once the study is completed the next stage is to apply to the Government for funding to build the beach control structures. The Borough of Poole application will be considered on a priority basis along with other schemes in the UK.
Stuart Terry, Costal Works Manager, Leisure Services, said: “This additional funding will allow us to consider the options of holding the new wider beach in place. Following the study, the Borough of Poole will be working with its consultants to ensure that an application will be made so that we can get government funding to build any structures as soon as possible.”
Cllr Don Collier, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: "I am really pleased that DEFRA have now decided to give us this money. There was the potential for £9Million of public money to be wasted if this project did not continue. Now we have the funding for the next phase we can get back to the important task of keeping the sand on Poole's beaches"
Lisa Gaskell, Communications, Borough of Poole, Tel: 01202 633060
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