Flood defence proposals for what is popularly known as Gansey beach, on the Port St Mary/Rushen parish border, have provoked scores of objections.
The measures, made by environmental company JBA consultants in conjunction with the Department of Infrastructure on an island-wide basis to reduce the risk of coastal flooding, include heaping piles of rock armour on the beach, officially called Brewery beach, so covering a large stretch of sand.
Representatives from DoI and JBA have conducted two rounds of community meetings around the island and held discussions with a number of local authorities.
A report was published in January and the Government website page www.gov.im/coastandwave provides a detailed breakdown of all the options considered.
An artist’s impression of the plan for Brewery beach, which was published on Port St Mary commissioners’ website, prompted 33 replies.
Sarah Hickey wrote: ‘Gansey beach is the only good surf beach on the island and is used regularly by a large number of surfers, kayakers, swimmers, windsurfers, kite surfers, children playing and dog walkers.
‘If this scheme is implemented it will be unusable for these activities.’
The defence would be too great at the western end of the beach, according to Nicholas Davies, who added the scheme was ‘unsightly’.
He added: ‘Wave height and strength are concentrated east of the middle towards the Shore Hotel. Therefore west end placement will be a waste of money.
‘Lapping over at the western end will still take place as the scheme doesn’t appear to add height to the wall.’
James Betteridge warned the defences could create rather than solve a flooding problem: ‘Physics dictates that energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred.
‘This is why the proposed scheme needs such a large revetment [slope] to try and dissipate the energy, which in turn will destroy the surf amenity of the beach which is considerable, not to mention the visual amenity.’
He doubts it would protect the houses from flooding ‘as water and energy will be dispersed to the creek at Kentraugh, causing the creek to fill and flood back on to the unprotected side of the road’.
He wrote: ‘If the flood waters picked up any debris and the bridge became blocked it will almost certainly flood back across and down the road rendering the defence useless.’
Several suggested a man-made reef be created.
Port St Mary Commissioners met the Department of Infrastructure last week and passed the objections on. The authority declined to comment when contacted by Isle of Man Newspapers.
The majority of the beach lies in Rushen parish, whose commissioners learned of the proposal from a resident.
Clerk Gill Kelly said the authority was ‘concerned’ it was not consulted. She confirmed the matter would be discussed at the board’s next meeting, and that they are ‘opposed to what is proposed’.
Infrastructure Minister Gawne said: ‘Local communities are being invited to play a leading role in the decision-making process. Our current thinking is to improve the protection of vulnerable locations and try to reduce the economic and social impact of flooding, but first we want to hear the views of people living in those areas.
‘Communities may decide they are prepared to deal with the effects of extreme weather events once every few years, rather than see their harbour walls raised or rock armour introduced into their bays.’
People are being invited to provide feedback to the DoI via their local authorities.