Clause 75
Marine and Coastal Access Bill [Lords]
12:30 pm
Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)
I wish to make a few remarks about clause 75 and the amendments. Although I have some sympathy with the purpose and sentiments behind the amendments, my experience of working with coastal local authorities when dredging to maintain a safe and navigable channel is required is that one cannot undertake that work without considering the consequences for the wider hydrological system of tidal flows and other water courses that serve the estuary or the harbour that is being dredged for the safety of vessels using it. In such circumstances, as I have had the opportunity to look into them, it is appropriate to consult Trinity House, which has a range of important expertise, on navigable safety. Matters pertaining to Natural England also come into play, particularly if the estuary or harbour in question is a designated site of special scientific interest, or has another designation because the environment must be protected or considered.
At the level of the local authorities that, in many instances, provide the required dredging licences, there is the question of what happens to the dredged material. It is important to consider where, for example, sand or sediment that is excavated on to a dredging barge is deposited. It might be placed temporarily on land and then deposited elsewhere within the hydrological system to replace sand that will be lost from another area in the vicinity of the area being dredged. The consequences of dredging one area has a knock-on effect, particularly in a sandy environment such as on the dunes—the towans, as we know them—and sometimes in areas a number of miles away.