Newsletter No. 2

NEWSLETTER  No. 2 May 2008

Since our last Newsletter in March 2008 there is much to report. Our Technical Officer, Tony Hills, from New Romney Town Council has been very busy on our behalf and has produced a comprehensive summary regarding the flood defences on the Marsh and the latest issues involved. We have decided to publish this report in its entirety as an attachment to this newsletter.

We are delighted that membership is ever increasing and we welcome all new members. This might also be an ideal opportunity to point out that all membership funds are solely used for items such as printing of literature and other PR related expenditure. All Committee Members serve DOC on a purely voluntary basis and no expenses are drawn from the funds by them. So every penny we raise is directed towards our aim of keeping up the pressure on Government Departments to secure appropriate sea defences for the Marsh.

With the imminent launch of the Public Consultation on the Environment Agency’s strategy for sea defences from Cliff End to Folkestone, which is to run from 22 July until 15 August 2008, it is extremely important that all of us respond to the questionnaire attached to the end of this document. Through this we have an opportunity to voice our concerns and state our interest in design and planning schemes for the various options on our frontages and thus be registered as official stakeholders. Drop-in sessions have been arranged by the Environment Agency all along the Marsh and a permanent exhibition will be mounted for a four week period in the Lydd Library. The exact dates are still to be confirmed, but we would urge you to check the local newspapers and look out for posters, so not to miss the opportunity to have your say. As details become available we will do our utmost to pass these on to you and they will also be published in our next newsletter, to be issued in July.

Between March and May we have held various meetings with members of the EA in order to obtain assurances that local opinion will be taken into account once the more detailed design of the various frontages goes ahead and we will include in these ongoing negotiations any issues raised by our members.

DOC is now recognised by the Environment Agency as a strong local Pressure Group, supported by various Councils and MP’s, and our voice is starting to make an impact.  And we have also linked up nationally with other Pressure Groups which have started to form or have already been established for many years as a direct result of coastal defence strategies and proposals affecting their communities.  No doubt you have all heard about Norfolk and the potential flooding of 25 square miles of the Broads in proposals put forward by Natural England. Gathering national strength will be beneficial for DOC. It will strengthen our case even further.

The Environment Agency has issued a statement in their recent correspondence with us on the forthcoming Public Consultation as follows: “We are hopeful that these proposals can be confirmed through the consultation and decision-making processes in the coming months. To help facilitate this, we are keen to work with local communities to help ensure that we understand local concerns and resolve them where we can, and that people understand the strategy and support its goal of ensuring this fragile coastline enjoys the level of protection and management that it needs and deserves.”  All DOC members should take heart from this  - it signifies a total change of policy by the  Environment Agency which would have never been achieved without your help and support. So let us continue to voice our concerns and put pressure on the EA to resolve them, if at all possible!

If there are any matters which you would like to discuss or if you would like to receive  information about us, please contact our PR/Press Officer, Brigitte Bass, Tel: 01797 225255 or email doc.romneymarsh@yahoo.co.uk.

For donations,  subscriptions or membership issues please contact David Donohoe (Treasury Secretary) Tel:  01797 320714 or email at  doc.members@hotmail.co.uk