Christchurch Harbour News

[Coddy]

Thought this might be of interest to some

 

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RENEWED plans have been floated for dredging Christchurch Harbour and dumping the spoil on Stanpit March and Mudeford Sandbank.

 

An earlier bid to get Christchurch council's consent as landowner foundered over fears the dredging could open the harbour and river to larger vessels and muddy the waters for spawning salmon and other wildlife.

 

But these fears have been dismissed by the borough's former coast protection officer Frank Tyhurst who has drawn up the dredging scheme on behalf of the Christchurch Harbour Association and Bournemouth & West Hants Water Company.

 

He said the operation to dredge some 1,000 cubic metres of material from the sandbar in the middle of the harbour and a similar amount from around the water company moorings at Tuckton Bridge had been planned in consultation with English Nature and the Environment Agency.

 

The work was needed to remove natural silting up of the navigable channel through the harbour and depositing the spoil - mainly sand - on the eroded Grimbury Marsh at Stanpit Marsh and the Mudeford Sandbank was considered more environmen-tally friendly than dumping at sea or in landfill sites.

 

Planning applications for the dredging have been made to both Bournemouth and Christchurch councils and if approved the work is scheduled to take place over the winter before the annual salmon migration begins.

 

Boatyard boss Charles Rossiter, chairman of the Christchurch Harbour Association consortium, said: "It is a pity that this small amount of essential maintenance work has become political. All we are trying to do is make sure the harbour is safe to navigate for the present users.

 

"We are certainly not seeking to encourage bigger boats here, you would need to dredge the offshore bar for that. We have prepared a very detailed environmental impact assessment which suggests that there is no detriment to the nature conservation value of the harbour."

 

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Regards

Coddy

 

[Bob F]

Well found, Coddy. Interesting post.

 

Bob F.

 

[Adam F]

No more bent props then!!

[great white]

I would think that planning would not be to hard to get for a "maintenance dredge" ie one to return it to a previous level after it has silted up.

 

But who knows where English Nature draw the line before they start to get excited.

 

They seem to be the people with the real clout over such matters, when they oppose schemes planning can be very hard to get.

 

 

Charlie

[Coddy]

Hi all

 

What interests me is where they tip all the spoil.

 

If they just dump it in the same area this will attract fish as a new haven with any luck unless the tides are strong around there in which case it will soon be dispersed.

 

Suggest that anyone who sees a dredger in the area if and when they get the go ahead should let it be known so others can investigate.

 

Regards

 

Coddy

[Swainiac]

Intersting read dave. Charlie, as far as EN or the EA are concrened, I really dont know where thyere coming from. They spent almost a hundred tyhousand pounds renewing part of the fishery i look after, however, the bank was on rebuilt using earth and hazel weave.

 

Five years on, all the banks are erroding back down, the stream gravel needs jetwashing to rid it of spoil for the spawning salmon, which are already in the river system, the banks collapse at the slightest weight, and it all ends up down with you guys in the Harbour. I'm afraid with the way they think at present, the harbour will need dredging on a fairly regular basis, as tonnes and tonnes of soil gets washed away at each flood. What can we do???

 

Rich