Conservative Assembly Member addresses Welsh Assembly on Gower aggregates issue

News - November 8, 2005

Alun Cairns, a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly, addressed the Assembly last week on the subject of aggregates dredging off the Gower peninsula in Wales, which is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but is, claim environmentalists, threatened by aggregates dredging off the Welsh coast.

First elected to the assembly as Assembly Member for South Wales West in 1999, Carins was re-elected in 2003 and is the party's spokesman on economic development and transport. He stood for Parliament in Gower in 1997 and has been selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan at the next General Election.

"Under the title of this debate, 'Will Dredging Destroy the UK's First Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?', there are two main issues that I wish address and that I ask the Minister to respond to," said Mr Cairns.

"The first issue relates to recognising Gower's fiftieth anniversary as the UK's first area of outstanding natural beauty and the significance of that event. The second is about drawing attention to the continued impact of dredging on the coastline."

"The National Parks and Countryside Act 1949 called for areas with particular qualities to be identified as areas of outstanding natural beauty and to be preserved for the benefit of the nation. An area of outstanding natural beauty is labelled as such because it combines precious landscape with beauty, almost giving it a personality of its own."

"Since Gower became the first AONB in 1956, 41 further areas have been identified in England and Wales. Gower's designation is made up of 73 square miles of breathtaking seascape, landscape, cliff tops, expansive beaches, excellent agricultural land and a number of distinct individual communities. Each individual part of Gower has certain aspects that contribute to the entire area and its designation as an AONB. The area contains breathtaking limestone scenery and large woodlands and valleys lined with stone-faced banks and complemented by Norman castles."

"Views seen from Mumbles and Wormshead leave people speechless. Gower also experiences the second highest tidal rise and fall in the world. An ever-changing climate and microclimates give the area the ability to grow over a 1,000 species of flora, some of which are unique to the peninsula."

"These act as a magnet to much wildlife, with many different species of birds nesting in one of Gower's 21 nature reserves or along the heritage coastline. The scientific community also recognises 27 different areas as sites of special scientific interest. With such fantastic natural resources, there is little wonder that Gower was designated as an AONB. Tourists flock to the area for the views and wildlife and the great beaches to explore."

"The coastline offers magical properties and some of the most attractive beaches in Europe. There is little wonder, therefore, that the potential loss of sand along the coastline is so alarming and such a worry to locals and visitors alike."

"Most sand in the Gower is dredged from the Helwick Bank, one of the largest sandbanks in Britain, which is a short distance from the Port Eynon to Wormshead coastline. In the 27 years prior to 1991, 741,000 tonnes of sand were dredged from the Helwick Bank. In the nine years up to 1999, 524,000 tonnes were dredged. Sand has been dredged from the bank for more than 100 years and, unfortunately, accurate records over the century are not available."

"However, over the short periods that I have mentioned, well over 1 million tonnes of sand have been dredged from the Helwick Bank. That equates to an area the size of an average football field, 100m deep. If we take into account all of the sand that has been dredged from the Bristol Channel, it amounts to 21 million tonnes, which is equivalent to an area the size of an average football field, a mile and a quarter deep. In some areas of beaches, the level of sand loss is blatantly obvious. Rocks that have never been seen before are now visible. On some formerly sandy beaches, sand has been replaced by pebbles."

"The Helwick Bank plays an important part in protecting the Gower coastline from the full force of the tide. It also helps disperse the energy of a strong current against the beaches at low tide, and, at high tide, it plays a part in preventing cliff erosion. ourism plays a major part in the Gower economy. The growth in the short breaks market has allowed it to become a year-round resort, offering fantastic facilities for walkers and cyclists and for other activity holidays."

"It was a delight to see one of Gower's famous hostelries, the King Arthur Hotel, included in this year's list of Wales's fastest growing 50 businesses. If sand dredging continues, these once beautiful and heavily populated areas could be destroyed forever. The economic impact would be devastating, but the environmental consequences would be unthinkable."

"This debate also provides an opportunity to recognise the Welsh Assembly Government's plans to hold a public inquiry into the latest licence application to continue dredging off the Helwick Bank. At long last, the campaign by thousands of people in Gower and the wider community has, at least, had some impact. I will never forget a Government official at a presentation some years ago stating that the marine currents and sand movements were a dynamic, complex environment that they were trying to understand. That shows that we are not clear as to the impact. The available evidence clearly highlights that a precautionary approach should be taken. The obligation should be on the dredgers to prove that their activities do not have an impact, rather than the other way around."

"It is interesting to note that the company driving the application is Llanelli Dredging, a subsidiary of the Dutch company, Royal Boskalis Westminster. What is wrong with that? Absolutely nothing at first glance, until you understand that the Netherlands does not allow dredging within 20 km of its coastline. It clearly highlights the precautionary approach that is being taken in the Netherlands."