Photographed yesterday 07/03/2007 at Spring tide low water. These look like supports for a pier or platform maybe used for the historical unloading of coal at Oxwich. Do you know anyone with knowledge as to their purpose? Also photographed are possible random tree stumps and increases in exposed rock areas. Link to larger image.
2 comments:
To Nigel Thomas, Linda Scott, Rhodri Morgan.
Many thanks for your reply, dated 13th Feb 2007 in response to my initial e-mail dated and sent to Rhodri Morgan and copied to numerous Assembly members on the 24th January 2007. I did not receive it however until 6 March 2007 and it is my understanding that a response is normally guaranteed within 17 days from the Assembly?
In response to your reply - attached Word document - please first read the attached press release from Euphoria Sailing Ltd. Please view the attached photographs and visit the Gower SOS Blog http://gower-sos.blogspot.com
Because our sand has historically been taken from the Bristol Channel it is not a precursor to continue, most other areas of the UK have to source sand from the land or elsewhere. You do not suggest or provide evidence of having explored alternative sources of sand and appear reticent to allocate the proper resources to investigate the consequences.
I believe Derwen Construction have started an aggregate grading and washing facility at Neath Abbey Wharf, they list the majority of their raw material as coming from greenfield excavations and rock over burden , which makes sense. A considerable number of inland sites have been proposed to you which could be used for sand and gravel extraction and subsequently could be used as a recreational water resource. Please ask Corus or Tata Steel to quote for the bulk import of sand via Port Talbot, they could become a huge UK importer solving many environmental sand issues nationwide and creating more revenue for Wales.
In the letter received from Linda Scott (Mrs) Environmental Planning she quoted "Aggregates are the basic constituents used in construction and, at the moment, are crucial to society’s well-being." ( See attached). Using our inshore sand for building aggregate is extremely short sighted for the coastal South Wales economy , which forms a huge percentage of the Welsh voting population and Welsh revenue. Our beaches and my growth business type help create society's well being, encourage development, boost property prices, economic viability and ultimately boost the construction industry. However I am left to fight this issue, which has a detrimental effect on my business in time spent and creates negative vibrations through out the tourism industry to protect our medium term strategy. If you vote to continue dredging inshore I will be forced to invest elsewhere to maintain my business longer term.
All the attached 2007 images of sand erosion and its effects have never been seen on our beaches before, so far I have been unable to locate anyone who knows what the man made wooden struts currently sticking out of Oxwich Beach are. Oxwich beach has just been named the most beautiful in the UK by travel writers who visited more than 1,000 around the world in search of the perfect sands. BBC news Link. I have taken sand home between my toes and in my pockets, the dredging companies have taken hundreds of millions of Tons. Your argument states that it will come back, please explain how in light of my photographic evidence and 25 years of adult memories? Some are blaming other environmental issues, global warming , winter storms and rising sea levels for our loss of sand, perhaps therefore we can play one environmental issue off against another to carry on as normal ?
Sand is valuable to South and West Wales and like gold its worth keeping long term, the WAG need to find a solution! In business you have to work hard to increase value, there is no other way. In current politics it appears you just have to wait in order to blame somebody else. The wooden stumps may well cover over but the overall sand levels have reduced year on year.
The WAG must see reason and the cautionary principle must be applied, a prolonged cessation of the inshore dredging of aggregates must happen now. Proper WAG and Environment Agency surveys must be carried out to prove that beach levels are reasonably recovering before aggregate dredging is allowed within our inshore waters.
Attached is part of our non scientific but acceptable evidence of recent serious sand erosion from our beaches, this was caused by recent years of dredging and exposed in one severe winter.
Peter Letheren
Euphoria Sailing Ltd.
The V shaped rock formation has been described as a 17th Century fish trap with the wooden posts in parallel lines being an old platform or pier fro unloading coal to the old coal shed in the Oxwich beach car park.
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