Environment Agency back in Redcar and true to their word

Dear Friends,

Remember pictures like this one from 2013? 

Or this from November 2014?

The latter was how much rubble was pulled from our beach in one session by the Environment Agency following months of FRED volunteers campaigning for a return. We had already cleared over 30 tonnes ourselves.

 This mess was formed after Birse (Balfour Beatty) created two unauthorised landfills on Redcar beach following the sea wall defence project either side of the commercial area.

You'll be pleased to know that FRED has never stopped stopped campaigning and a secondary return was always planned for Spring 2015. 

And the EA have been true to their commitment and came out again on Thursday morning at 9am, picking up any rubble they found on Redcar beach particular the worst area in Zetland ward.

As project manager, the EA are responsible for this removal. A service team of around 10 are arriving on Thursday morning to do yet another sweep. 

The Zetland area is notably now the worst part for this detritus on the beach so we shall be directing their and our attention there over the coming months.

Previous link http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.com/2014/07/environment-agency-return-to-redcar.html

A very active and successful month for Friends of Redcar (FRED)

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Our biggest compliment has to be this picture. This wasn't possible the month or even a year before because of all the building material

Dear Friends,

This has been a busy month for our group as we gear up towards our first year AGM and we have the most fabulous news regarding our beach rubble complaint.

We held two litter picks on the beach one at Majuba and the other next to the Regent Cinema. The latter being a celebration to the welcoming news that the Environment Agency's decided to return following FREDs 10 month campaign to remove building materials left from the sea defence work.

Our two litter picks saw 60 volunteers which included Friends of Borough Park, Lifeline, RCBC amongst others. We'd like to say a massive thank you for all their help and continued support.

The EA brought a crew of ten men and a JCB. Although they didn't dig down as deep as we would have liked they are committed to return in February after the winter storms rreveal more of what has been buried.

We were not happy with Balfour Beatty (BB) who sub contracted their effort and we were less than happy with the work done on their part. There are still building felts half buried (we now know these are called Geotexture and do belong to BB.) The EA have assured us that they will ensure Balfour Beatty clear these shortly during snagging work.

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FRED are currently holding an art competition with local schools and these are displayed in cafe's and libraries around Redcar. 

We are also holding a "Friends Together" event to celebrate the efforts made by Redcar's community action groups.

This is in association with the Rotary Club and Friends of Zetland Park and sponsored by Federation of Small Businesses on the 10th August 11am to 5pm at Redcar Rugby Club.

The EA return

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The EA cleared this from the Zetland end

FRED campaign fruitful on Zetland beach

Look what FRED achieved at Zetland through our campaign.

Although Environment Agency didn't dig up the rubbish left by Birse, they did promise to keep coming back after the winter storms. 

Speaking with residents and specialists FRED have to be aware this is an site of special scientific interest (SSSI) that is not commercial but for wildlife to flourish. 

Bearing that in mind look at the photos. Quite satisfied and equally the residents who live there are too. We'll keep revisiting it

Well done EA and FRED volunteers it's looking so much better. Still no sign of Birse Balfour Beatty whose absence is an utter disgrace and we shall be highlighting this everywhere. Instead of coming back they sent a useless subcontractor who did less in two days than FRED volunteers do in two hours. 

Shame on you Balfour Beatty! We will certainly pass on our disgust to our council and hope this has an affect on any other tender bid you put in for the region.

Now we are going to meet with First Choice skips who also want a beautiful beach and L&C skips who are both going to help us resolve the Coatham issue. No more sweeping this under the carpet RCBC. We want the best beach in the North East - together we can achieve it too. :)

Environment Agency return to Redcar with unknown builder?

Dear Friends,

We sent the following email to the Environment Agency this morning and ensured the relevant councillors and RCBC officers were copied in. As yet no reply except we had a call from Stuart Ainsley of RCBC.

Stuart advised us that the builders at the Zetland end are sub-contracted by Balfour Beatty (who left our beach in this state) but that they will show up (we'll let you know).

"Good morning Alan/James,

I'm happy to see your employees turned up at Coatham around 10:15am to begin work with a JCB near the cinema.

I have to say we're disappointed that there is no sign of Balfour Beatty. Are they going to come back too? After all they are a conscientious constructor and the material left behind is from their work and employing another contractor (Addison's) is a cost to the public that was not our intention.

Having watched the two guys from Addison builders for two days it seems this is a waste of public purse particular as they appear very reluctant; are not digging up the bags of rubbish, builders sand, building materials that's buried and have no digging equipment. As you know these heavy objects will always make their way back to the surface. Our volunteers certainly work harder and that service is free.

I'm also disappointed that there has been no effort to contact our group to consult with us since we last met particularly considering the facts that we have had to fight to get this work done, we are the residents using the beach and that we are perhaps best qualified now to show your team where they are required - considering that we are hands on.

I am particularly concerned that the RCBC have "cleaned up" either side of the cinema and because it looks artificially clearer that you wont realise that the material has been buried and that after the winter storms it will all be revealed again. 

It would be nice to work together on this and to be consulted and treated with respect instead of being marginalised (again) and held at a distance because we are just residents with no legitimacy."

We'll keep you posted Redcar.

"Our beach, our town, our home - Redcar"

FREDs Redcar Beach inspection 9th April 2014 - Complaint part 7

FRED have been back on Redcar beach examining the building debris with the Environment Agency (EA),  Birse (now Balfour Beatty) and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC). 

The rubble and materials left over along Coatham and Zetland from the Coastal Defence project is a real eyesore and a hindrance to Redcar's tourism, residents, businesses, visitors and event organisers. 

Coatham

Zetland

To progress the complaint, FRED met officials on the 9th April to find a way forward. Carl Quartermain and Angela Garbutt of FRED showed Alan Cadas and James Mead of the EA, Simon Kirtlan of Birse and Stuart Ainsley of RCBC the extent of the problem with a beach walk that stretched from the TunedIn building in Coatham to The Stray in Zetland.

Redcar Beach has so much potential. It's tough sand is ideal for numerous events. Long panoramic  shots look great but don't reveal areas unbecoming of a vibrant and forward thinking seaside town.

FRED believes there is a total lack of care and a 'degeneration' to the beach area that's been going on for years but incredibly has been exasperated following the 'regeneration' work.

 Carl Quartermain, FRED Chairman said, "The main point we wanted to demonstrate was that the problem isn't down to tidal drift or the consequences of years of development. Much of the rubble is left over from the breakup of the previous seafront as well as materials Birse used to build the new one. Many pieces are far too large to have just floated here in any case.

During preparation for the Atonement movie  there was a clear beach. Bottom Left  of this picture is a slipway that has subsequently been broken up. Many remnants of this, as well as the previous defence, seafront paving and brickwork from Coatham to Zetland remain on the beach.

"If what we are looking at is tidal drift or from decades of development then it shouldn't discriminate from distributing itself in the only section that is clear of this problem along the new defences - the commercial area along the Esplanade.

"Before the breakup of the previous defences and the Turner Street slipway, the East side of the Regent Cinema was rubble free. Today it resembles a building site.

"What we have is a stockpile of rubble, bricks, felt, building sand and building fabrics from the bandstand next to the boating lake all the way around the Regent and up to the Beacon. 

Redcar beach is dogged by this fabric which shows up at Coatham and Zetland and is often half buried and impossible to shift by hand

Redcar Beach when LEO's was where the Beacon stands today families would set up wind breakers and bathe around this point. Today unless they want to be sat amongst building rubble and fabrication they just wouldn't bother.

"When LEO's was where the Beacon stands today families would set up wind breakers and bathe there. Today, this isn't comfortably possible. 

"Before the work, families could typically bathe anywhere along the coastline right up to The Stray. Unless you don't mind sitting on the stepped defences in your shoes looking out on broken bricks and concrete, it'snow only possible at two points; Majuba (where incidentally no regeneration work took place) and of course the Esplanade, commercial area. 

Inexplicably clear of the rubble that is

found either side of this commercial area

"Remarkably the rubble inexplicably clears, to a CLEAN section of beach in front of the 'commercial area' where unsurprisingly no demolition took place and the new defence steps were built over the previous defences.

"This clear sand area remains until the Zetland museum area. Then another trail of building materials begins which continues onto The Stray where regeneration work also took place. The Zetland area can only be described as a landfill.

"During the inspection Birse vowed to provide a couple of workmen and spend a couple of days with FRED on the beach. However they have stated they will not bring mechanical diggers.

"We appreciate all the help we can get but made it quite clear that this wouldn't even scratch the surface." Carl said. 

Building felts are found all over along with buried concrete and bags of building sand

"Our own efforts have removed around 40 tonnes of material and we're nowhere near shifting it. We've determined that land clearance for the beach using heavy machinery would cost between £700 and £1000 per day and would be required on at least eight sections of beach and possible take up to two weeks.

"We have asked The RCBC, the EA and Birse to help us find a solid solution and suggested providing FRED the funding to order the clean up ourselves. 

"To be honest they all appear to be at a loss as to what to do, in relation to any real clean-up operation following the celebrated and extensive Flood Alleviation work they've done. 

"On the face of it both the RCBC and EA are seemingly allowing Birse who are advertised as a responsible contractor, to leave Redcar having buried all manner of building materials along the coastline from Coatham to Zetland. Why? 

"Because following the £30 million+ regeneration of the seafront, cleaning the beach afterwards and truly realising Redcar's potential as a tourism hotspot was overlooked, unplanned for and subsequently buried along with the masonry - to Redcar's detriment and shame."

We'll keep you posted. For the full transcript of our ongoing complaint, click on here. 

If you don't like this article please do like we do and follow this link. Cheers.

https://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/Forms.nsf/ComplaintForm_3?readform

Invitation for Friends of Redcar to inspect beach with the Environment Agency

Friends of Redcar (FRED) has been invited to meet up on the 9th April to inspect the beach again with the Environment Agency(EA) with a view to clear up this mess once and for all. 

As you know we've had an ongoing complaint about the building materials on our beach following the work carried out by Birse. The ongoing saga has been catalogue here - http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html

Our goal is simple we want a clean beach and we would like Birse (now Balfour Beatty) to bring diggers, skips and crews to come and clear it up. 

As always we'll keep you posted. If anyone would like to join us to voice their constructive opinion please let us know and we'll give you the details. 

Below is the latest reply from the EA

Dear Carl

Further to recent correspondence the site management team is making a return visit to Redcar on Wednesday 9^th April to review follow up works to the project.  We will look then to programme in the beach clearance visit shortly after.

I hope that we can meet at some time during that day, we can be flexible on time. If you could get back to me if that is convenient and keep Alan copied in.

Thanks and regards

James

James Mead

Project Manager

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme

Our beach, Our town, Our Home - Redcar

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Six

Below is our latest reply and images sent to the Environment Agency regarding our Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint and Alan Cadas very swift and welcome reply.



"Dear Mr. Cadas,

Thank you for your reply. 

We very much appreciate your response to our complaint and grievances. This will be discussed at our next open meeting next Tuesday. 

We are also thankful that you will ensure we are contacted in plenty of time to enable us to work together with RCBC, EA and Birse to reach a solution to rid our beach of the incredible amount of debris left behind.

With respect, we have always accepted that there had been masonry on the beach along the promenade previous to your work being carried out. However this was sporadic and a minor issue along the sea defences. We'd agree that the old defences required repair and updating and had had previous touch ups. 

However, having used the beach for many years and spending summers down there with my children (barefooted), as well as jogging across the beach on a weekly basis, I can advise you that prior to your work the old sea defences were not as suggested in your picture. The image portrayed was not observed by anyone we've spoken to including fishermen, RNLI employees, beachcombers or residents who walk their dogs on a daily basis prior to your work beginning. I was certainly on the beach in the months before work commenced and my experience and memory is the same.

Secondly this image is isolated in an area near the Park Hotel where the issue is not such a concern. I want to show you some images that reveal that 1. We're not just talking about brick and concrete - there is building felts and fabrics, buried bags of set concrete, buried bags of building sand, iron rods etc  and 2. Much of the masonry is not just from the break up of the old defences but is new as it has nylons for strength (not used in the previous decades). 

If you ever get the opportunity to come to Redcar we would welcome you to join us and view the damaging effect our beach has been left to bear. We are certain that you would recognise that the clean up operation was wholly inadequate and that much of the material belongs to Birse as well as what was broken up by them.

Between our group and the RCBC alone we must have already cleared coming on 40 tonnes between us. This doesn't include what Birse managed to do in their own 'sweeps'. This in itself should suggest to you that the clean up effort was not good enough. Our beach is still littered with so much of this material that parts of our beach along the defences is dangerous and unusable. It is far too much a burden for our small group to manage without heavy gear, diggers and tools."

"Dear Carl

Thank you for your reply.

I will try to come to Redcar for the walkover with Birse and Redcar and Cleveland Council so we can meet and discuss further. James - can you include me in the invite please. 

If I am not available for that date I will arrange a separate visit.

The erosion in the photo I sent was repaired as emergency works by the council very shortly after it happened which might explain why not many people witnessed it.

Hope to meet soon. In the meantime please contact me again if you need anything further.

Regards

Alan"

For the rest of this series check the links below. We'll as always keep you posted.

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.One

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Two

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Three

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Four

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Five