PART of Guernsey’s main golf course could be lost if sea defences at L’Ancresse are abandoned. The structural integrity of the pre-Martello towers there would also be threatened if a ‘do nothing’ option is followed by Environment.
The Commons Council is calling for attempts to be made to save this part of the coastline.
A report by consultant Royal Haskoning said that the sea wall was nearing the end of its useful life.
Remedial work has been carried out on sections displaying excessive wear, but the council fears that there does not appear to be any long-term management plan to protect the common from predicted erosion.
The consultant’s report says that there are many sections of the wall that are in need of repair now, especially in the centre of the bay where damage and movement in the concrete require emergency work.
Without further major investment, this part of the wall is likely to fail, possibly within the next three years.
The council wants to know why the wall has been allowed to reach this state of disrepair and whether money has been directed towards other projects that were not so pressing or as necessary.
One of the options put forward in the consultant’s report is abandoning the German anti-tank wall at Pembroke.
But the council believes that if all or part of that is removed, large parts of the area will become flooded.
‘The German sea wall, which protects the north coast of the island, has served us well for more than 60 years. It is perhaps the only favour the Germans did for the island during the Second World War,’ said a council spokesman.
Environment minister David De Lisle has urged the public for feedback on the report, but the council wonders how many people will wade through the comprehensive report.
Most will probably rely on what they had read in the Guernsey Press, the spokesman said.
‘Removing all or part of the sea wall will undoubtedly create a softer coastline, but at what cost?’ he said.
The report said that the area from the Vale Church to Fort Doyle was designated as one of special environmental and archaeological importance.
The council has produced digital impressions showing how it could look in three years’ time and in 80 if nothing is done to protect it.
It believes it would result in large areas of the common being under water, with Fort Le Marchant eventually being cut off and the Fort Doyle area being submerged.
While another option requires discussion with all interested parties about the long-term management of the area, the council is concerned about what States members will decide and believes that could well depend on the electorate’s views.
The council is urging people to let their views be known before the end of a consultation period on Friday.
A summary of the report is available online at www.gov.gg. Hard copies can be viewed at the Guilles-Alles Library or Frossard House.
Environment is preparing a report on a coastal defence strategy which will be debated by the States in March.
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