Autumn 2000

 

A heartfelt ‘Thank You’ is called for, to all members who have sent a positive flood of photographs, from which the Society has been able to build a most useful archive illustrating the gradual loss of sand on many Gower beaches.  Particular thanks are due Mike Jenkins, whose determination to make everyone aware of the problem resulted in S.O.S. being set up. He has acted as coordinator of the project, bringing all interested parties together.  Members of Women’s Institutes, Gower Society Members, local surfers and fishermen, and many others, have willingly responded to his call to unite to fight a common threat to our local coastline.

 

Horton 1967

 

Horton 1997

 

Thanks also to Gareth Watkins, who has spent many hours during the past months scanning members’ photographs and saving them on a C.D., which means that they are easily accessible as and when required; also to Peter Venables, whose engineering background has been invaluable.  When faced with so many ‘experts’, we need a few of our own!  Peter now has the support of another member, Tony Dobbs, whose expertise, so willingly offered, must surely increase our ‘fire power’!  

 

Local members will have been aware of the Society’s efforts, well reported by the various media, in what has proved to be a most ‘active’ summer!  A conference in Porthcawl, convened by Alun Cairns, A.M. for South and West Wales, attempted to explore the issues at stake.  The company working on the Nash Bank, Hansen Aggregates Marine Ltd., held a day-long ‘drop in’ session at the Oxwich Bay Hotel on 22^nd September.  Members who attended appreciated the fact that this enabled us to ‘talk with’, rather than be ‘lectured by’ representatives of Hansen’s.  Even more welcome was the fact that one of their engineers had made the effort to go to Port Eynon to see for himself what was happening.  It was agreed that several factors probably combined to cause the sand loss.  It was clear that most people who attended felt that sand, once lost, might be gone for ever, and it would be wise to call a halt to dredging to allow time for more detailed studies to be carried out. 

 

Erosion at Horton 1999

 

Horton Close-up 1999

 

All present at the Oxwich open-day regretted the fact that the Llanelli Dredging Company, the company dredging the Helwick Bank, did not accept Hansen’s invitation to take part.  Their absence was noted!  Meanwhile, the campaign continues, so send in any outstanding petition forms to our Secretary, as we plan to take them to Cardiff when the time is ripe!  The long awaited Bristol Channel Research Report has at last been published.  As suspected, this confirms that there is sand exchange between the Helwick Bank and Gower beaches.  Undoubtedly as a result of the Society’s efforts, there will be a Gower Society presence on the newly constituted group set up to consider the implications of this report, during which time the decision as to the increased dredging application will hopefully be deferred.  By the time the next Newsletter is printed, the decision will almost certainly have been made.  In the interim, concerned members are asked to make direct representations to the Welsh Assembly (in particular, Sue Essex, Environment Secretary).  Any who are also members of organisations similarly affected, whether it be through conservation, tourism etc., might feel that such organisations could be persuaded to add their weight to the campaign.