What did FRED do in 2014 and what's next?

By Coastal View and Moor News

Over the past 12 months FRED have run a competition in Redcar's primary schools to determine "Who is FRED?" in order to create a mascot for this growing and well respected community group. But over the months FRED have proven to be more than the beach litter pick group we all thought it was. Probing the question "What is FRED"?

We asked Carl Quartermain, FRED Chairman to explain.

 "When I first thought about FRED with Natalie King in July 2013 there was a number of driving factors. Initially it kicked off because I personally wanted to call Balfour Beatty, the contractor of the sea defences, to task over the two unauthorised landfills they left on our beach. I was livid that this was how little they respected our residents. This anger developed into why Redcar fails as a seaside resort, why we lack overnight holiday visitors and why business in the town was disappearing long before Marks and Spencers called it a day.

"The idea to start up a media campaign grew also because of our concerns over the Redcar Regent Cinema, having not received any redevelopment while 30 million pounds was ploughed into the sea walls and infrastructure. It seemed at the time that it's neglect was part of a planned strategy for its imminent demise, particularly when there was the whisper of a multiplex development happening.  We were both determined to ensure the safety of the building and to protect this part of Redcar's heritage before even more of it disappeared.

"We'd discussed how badly the retail sector in Redcar was doing and the reasons why, Kirkleatham stables and walled garden and then there was Locke Park also being so neglected, that the council had at that time requested volunteers to develop a 'friends' group. Once we understood our potential to be multifaceted we called a meeting in the RNLI Zetland lifeboat museum and Friends of Redcar was born.

"I must admit I had never before been involved with much community work, never had any dealings with gazebos and to my shame had never heard of the numerous community groups in Redcar or knew of the wonderful work being done by volunteers and not the council. So part of our early intention was to become a resource for other groups and being a digital marketer I was keen to offer online advertising and promotion to give these groups a louder voice.

"We had a rocky start. The ideas were good and well intended but far too ambitious, so our focus has to focus on the beach campaign and to clear the beach of rubble. If tourism was going to come to Redcar it would start there. Even our Treasurer kept calling us 'Friends of Redcar Beach' and there was a push within the committee to rename us as such - which I resisted."

Both Natalie and Carl received Coastal View Community Awards in 2014. Natalie had peeled away from Friends of Redcar and went on to create the "Save the Regent" campaign which saw the Regent receive funding and a much needed facelift along with a trust committee to look after the longer term view.

After ten months of campaigning and rubble collections, FRED managed to get acceptance from the Environment Agency and they, together with Balfour Beatty and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, brought teams of workers, JCBs and trucks to clear up the beach. FRED to date have cleared up over 100 tonnes of masonry from their sessions and the EA have promised to come back in February 2015.

So where did FRED come from and what have you been up to? 

"FRED was an endearing acronym of Friends of Redcar, created during one of our group meetings by one of our regular volunteers, Jean Fines. She said it and it stuck immediately. She also came up with the name of our effort to hold a joint community group event and donkey derby in June. 'Friends Together' events will continue to be part of our intended direction.

"What many people don't realise about us is the amount of letter writing we do. Personally I get as much pleasure from resolving issues this way as I do from organising the litter picks. Behind the scenes we are involved on all six wards. We have successfully challenged many issues both structural and strategical. One of our most used document is the council's complaint form. I've even complained about the complaint form because you can't add pictures! (Which I'm assured is set to change - will have to chase it up!)

"We were the architects to getting the awful compound pulled down, that had stood for four years, at Wykeham Close just a week after we complained. We've had some success at the old cliffe garage site, which has been there for 8 years and became a tipping ground for mattresses and the like. We had overgrown neglected fields and derelict sites cut down. We had a children's play park made safe. And we even got the 'O' put back up at Tesco. On top of that we are working to standardise and promote council ward meetings so more residents are able to participate and we have inspired other groups to form such as Zetland Pride and Friends of Dormanstown. We also have involvement in the newly formed Friends of Kirkleatham grounds and Museum which is the jewel in Redcar's crown in my eyes."

"We also assisted stewarding with the British Landsailing event and hope to again in July 2015. But I'm mostly so proud of our litter picks. It really moves me that from a humble beginning we are now encouraging between 30 and 40 residents every time. And some have come from as far away as Sunderland. Others come along regularly every month. We've had mothers with babies, toddlers, businesses, families and pensioners all litter picking together and getting to know each other. It truly is fabulous. We have seen well beyond 200 volunteers on that beach.

So who is FRED and what is the future?

"FRED the mascot will be a seahorse. The winner from 200 entries was Aleesha Cox of Coatham
school and chosen by our 4000 strong social media following. The mascot will be designed and created for May 2015 when we're hosting our first major event on the seafront called FREDs 'Kick Off the Summer'. Wish us luck with that and we still hope to unveil a mural on the back of the cinema too. We have ideas and are working hard to deliver them.

"As I say we have the EA coming back in February and we'll continue to do monthly litter picks on the beach every first Sunday of each month at 10am alternatively from the Touchstone sculpture in Zetland and TunedIn in Coatham. We have ongoing complaints to pursue that include the Health and Safety Executive and Network Rail.

"FRED the committee are 15 activist, doers and thinkers. I've told them that it is no coincidence that they are together because they are some of the most active people in Redcar. It's a diverse bunch of experienced and positive people who are educators, planners, negotiators, diplomats, crusaders, conservationist, organisers, environmentalist, distributors, fund raisers and writers. I'm so proud of these guys and I think we're really going to come into our own in 2015.

 "I think you've really got to ask why? Why do any of these volunteers, FRED or otherwise do it? I think it's because we just want 'better' for our town. We've seen the potential Redcar has as a seaside tourism destination and we can see where it fails and where poor standards dog us. The various groups are doing wonders to look after our parks, cemetery, woodland and floral displays. We make sure our beach gets attention but it needs much more love from those with influence.


"The biggest asset in Redcar, in the whole Tees Valley, is our 10 miles of coastline from the Gare to Saltburn so we need to clean it up and invite people in. We need to raise our standards in Redcar. There are areas that have been derelict or sealed off from public use for coming on to ten years. There is much that can be done with retailers communicating and our highways need unblocking, redirecting and redeveloping. When we do this our town will pick up trade, our events will be better supported and we will become a festival town creating jobs in areas such as the service and hospitality sector, retail and construction.  FRED will be probing away positively but tenaciously behind the scenes and hopefully lifting this town to be vibrant, popular and just that, 'better' "

If you would like to be involved in FREDs litter picks contact friendsofredcar@gmail.com
You can also follow FRED on fb /friendsofredcar and /fredredcar
And on twitter @friendsofredcar
Visit their website at http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/

Environmental Agency commit to Redcar Beach Clean Up July 2014

Dear Friends,

GREAT NEWS TODAY. We have had confirmation from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) that the Environmental Agency (EA) are going to do an industrial clean up of the areas of Redcar beach that FRED (Friends of Redcar) has highlighted as being full of building materials both exposed and buried. 

The EA have committed to three full days on the 15th, 16th and 17th July and will bring digging equipment and a crew of around 10 workers.

We'd like to take the opportunity to thank all those who have helped us campaign, who have shared our messages and who have pulled the strings to bring common sense to this issue.

Redcar is turning a corner and FRED are working with the council to improve our prospects as a tourism hotspot with events, activities, exposure of issues and fresh ideas. 

Here is our message of thanks and an invitation to join us and RCBC on the beach on the 13th July (TBA)

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/redcar-beach-victory-after-environment-7308541

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   

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Five

With respect to our continued plea to get diggers and tools to shift the mess our beach is in we have had a follow up from Environment Agency (joint project managers). I shall post our response soon.

“Dear Carl

Thank you for your email of 3rd March 2014 regarding your concerns over the condition of Redcar beach following the completion of the sea defence works. This has been passed to me to investigate in line with our complaints procedure. I would like to provide you with an update on current plans to assist in remedying some of your concerns and hopefully clarify our position on ongoing responsibility.

As you will hopefully have been informed already your Freedom of Information request for contractual information will be dealt with separately.

Firstly I am sorry you were not informed of the date of Birse’s October revisit to the beach to carry out further cleanup works. This was purely an oversight, and James Mead, the project manager for the scheme, will ensure that you are informed of the date of the return visit in good time. Before we fix the date, we will be carrying out a join site walkover with Redcar & Cleveland Council and would be happy to meet with you to discuss your concerns on this date. I can confirm that we still intend to arrange the clean up visit for April or May this year, weather and other works permitting, but it will certainly be before the summer. If you would like to discuss this with James he can be contacted by email at james.mead@environment-agency.gov.uk or by telephone on 01138196250.

I have looked a bit further into the source of the materials on the beach. I know from my involvement in the scheme that the revetment along the whole of the sea front was in a really poor condition. This was one of the main reasons that the scheme was constructed. Because of the poor condition, there were a number of failures in localised places which required emergency works. One of these failures happened just a few months before the scheme started on site, and the photograph below shows the extent of the failure. If you look carefully you can see that the hole goes right underneath the footpath, so a lot of material will have eroded as a result. You can also see patches of concrete next to the hole which shows where other repairs have been carried out, and similar repairs were carried out along the length of the promenade. This series of failures will have caused debris to have been spread across the beach, and may explain why there is unweathered debris present on the beach.

I am also confident in our contractor’s methods. We employed our own site supervision staff during the construction phase to ensure that this was the case. The sea defence elements of the works were completed in November 2012 and Birse carried out a number of sweeps of the beach between this time and the completion of the whole project in June 2013. Combined with the October 2013 revisit and further visit this spring we are satisfied that the beach cleanup carried out is thorough and is certainly beyond that contractually required and envisaged. I must conclude therefore that a substantial quantity of the rubble left on the beach must have arisen from the previous damage to the revetment, and that the contractor’s efforts have more than made up for any material which might have escaped as a result of the works.

I do however greatly applaud your efforts and desire to see the beach at Redcar kept in good condition. I would therefore like to offer the support of some of my workforce to join Birse when they carry out the spring sweep of the beach.

This project has been delivered in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and not, as you suggest, solely led by the Environment Agency. As an integral part of this relationship, it was agreed that the responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the defences and surrounding area would remain with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. I know that everyone would want to see the seafront maintained well following such major investment and a suggestion of increased investment was raised, by the project team, with Redcar & Cleveland’s Neighbourhoods team at numerous points through project development and construction. Any queries about the future maintenance of the beach and surrounding area therefore will need to be directed to that team.

Please contact me again if you would like any further information."

We have replied and will be adding this to our Streetclub. It is free and easy to join.

Here are previous links from our initial complaint to date.

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

Dear Friends of Redcar

Dear Friends of Redcar,


Can YOU help us? 

We want to hold safe events on our beach such as sandcastle competitions, Easter Egg and Treasure Hunts not rubble collection.

We also have the British Land Sailing Championship coming in June. We don't want spectators sat amongst rubble! And we want to attract more entertainment to our greatest asset - the beach.

Below are contacts that may hold answers or assistance and who we've had direct dealings with during our plea to the Environment Agency to bring Birse back with their diggers to clear Redcar beach of their building material.

gary.flynn@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk is the Regeneration Operations Director for RCBC
james.mead@environment-agency.gov.uk is the project manager for the EA
simon.kirtlan@birse.co.uk is the project manager for Birse Civil
darren.edmunds@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk liaison officer for RCBC

Can you write to ask them when Birse (Balfour Beatty) are coming back? Can you let them know what you think about the mess left on our beach? And can you share your request and any responses with us?

Here’s an example of a letter you could write. Or you could copy/paste and modify just as easily.

“Dear Sir,

I wish to make a complaint. We are disgusted at the amount of broken masonry and building materials along the stretch of the new Coastal Defences on Redcar beach. We respectfully request that Birse (now Balfour Beatty Construction UK) come back to clean up. This work is necessary and will benefit the local residents, businesses, visitors, tourist and community event organisers coming into Redcar. We understand that Friends of Redcar (friendsofredcar@gmail.com) have been in contact throughout and have requested a return by the contractor that has been agreed. Please can you pursue or advise when the return date will be and what action will be taken.”

You could also send this message to these contacts below - the more awareness and strength of feeling the more our community will be represented in the places that matter. We need an elected champion.

george.dunning@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk   Leader of RCBC
ian@ianswales.com            MP for Redcar
annaturley@hotmail.co.uk  Candidate for Labour and Co-operative

Relevant councillors :-

irene.curr@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk and josie.crawford@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk (Coatham Ward)
ron.harrison@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk and josh.mason@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk (Zetland Ward)

RCBC, EA, and Balfour Beatty’s complaint process and the quality assurance groups Birse are associated with are below.

link: https://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/Forms.nsf/ComplaintForm_3?readform
(check box for complaint about “the Regeneration Project”)

link: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/contactus/36316.aspx
link: http://www.balfourbeattycsuk.com/contact-us/make-an-enquiry/
email: enquiries@birsecl.co.uk

email: alan.cadas@environment-agency.gov.uk
Operations Manager, North East Area, Environment Agency,  North  East

email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk 
email: newcastle@environment-agency.gov.uk
email: enquiries@ccscheme.org.uk “Considerate Constructor Scheme”
email: lrussell@cic.org.uk “Construction Industry Council”
Will you help?

Can YOU help us love our beach again?

We're considering opening a petition to show our disgust at the state of our beach. Show yours too and perhaps this will prompt our council and the EA to bring back their contractor Birse - (Balfour Beatty) to come back and clean up their mess. Do you think a petition will help?

Will you help Redcar? 

For more information check our links

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   
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Six  - to follow


We want our beach back. 

Our beach, our town, our home - Redcar

Thank you,

FRED

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Four

Following our winter hibernation we have jumped back on the horse and are galloping through to advise you of how Redcar beach is doing. It's not doing well to be honest. 

Redcar beach resembles a hideous building site along the Coastal Defences following the work carried out by Birse. It is laden with rubble, masonry, building felt, scaffolding parts, bricks, iron rods and that’s before we get to the litter issue. And it’s here to stay unless you act now.

It’s important that we as a small community pursue continued assistance and support by the contractor to remove this problem before the final contract between Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC), The Environment Agency (EA) and Birse (now Balfour Beatty) is signed off.

As a community group, Friends of Redcar (FRED) doesn’t believe the contractor is being pushed hard enough by RCBC to pick up its responsibility to the clean up and that the quality of the contractors work as a responsible and considerate construction company is questionable. If we allow this to go unchecked they will shortly be able to leave us with a beach that harms our enjoyment of our major asset, is unsafe for our kids and diminishes our flailing tourism economy even more so.

We are passionate about our beach. We want to take our children there and feel confident that they are safe in bare feet. We want to sit and have picnics and eat ice creams on the sand while enjoying our surroundings. We want to build sandcastles without fear of what we might dig up. We want to lay out our towels and sunbathe in a relaxed and popular setting. We want tourists to come in and spend their money in our town and cafés and to want to come back.

We are disgusted that our beach has been left like this. We have requested that the Final Contract with Birse (Balfour Beatty) should not be signed off until they commit to clearing the beach of their broken masonry, cement sacks and building materials that was buried there and has been revealed by dissipating sand and tides.

Last year we did indeed get the contractor to come back and they hand-picked some of this masonry up. It is nowhere near enough. We need heavy equipment down here and we need them to do it now before another summer is lost. We were assured last year that they would return. As yet we haven’t had a response to let us know if this will happen or when, so we can make arrangements to assist and observe.

With the lack of information coming from Birse, the Environment Agency and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council regarding our call for Birse to help with cleaning up and because of the overwhelming amount of building material  that's been uncovered over the winter we've decided to push forward our complaint to the EA and follow the official avenues.

“Dear Sir,

Following on from our initial complaint regarding our beach and having had contact with James Mead the Project Manager for the Environment Agency (EA) we would like to pursue our complaint further. 

We appreciate that the EA, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) and Birse answered our call to agree to an inspection in October 2013. Following on from that inspection, Birse through Simon Kirtlan, did carry out an initial sweep of the beach as a side issue to their intended reason for being in Redcar - namely the positioning of the seafront sculpture art. We thank them for this even though we had requested to be kept informed when they were coming so that we could join in and observe but were not. 

We also look forward to greeting them again in April or May to carry out another sweep AND even though we have not received any details following our requests to be kept informed (so we can build an event around it and observe, advise and assist) AND even though we are left to assume this will be another side issue to why Birse are expected to be in Redcar AND even though we again have no knowledge as to the extent of work they intend to do - we thank them.

To this end though we truly feel marginalised and discounted at the operation level of the Coastal Defence project and as residents who volunteer our free time to remove the vast amounts of building materials left behind by Birse, we are not satisfied 

- at the efforts to clean up our beach of the remains of the overwhelming evidence against Birse's regarding buried building material and masonry and therefore their commitment to behaving as a considerate constructor. 

-  with the lack of information from the EA regarding the intention to manage a clean up as the Project Leader.

- that we have had no official report from the EA following the October inspection and therefore no clear intent of how you will deal with our complaint in order that we can consider our future actions.

I'd also like to draw attention to a comment made during October's inspection, towards our problem by the Environment Agency in that "it isn't an environmental problem". In that case why are the Environment Agency solely given management over building projects in a built up area that relies on tourism? If the attitude is, it doesn't matter that the beach is left as a rubble land fill then who manages that side of the project?

We recently wrote requesting all public details of the contract between the EA, RCBC and Birse. Regarding the Flood Alleviation Project and any additional contracts for projects associated with it and any details regarding tthe intended final sign off we would exercise our right as set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 Part One and look forward to receiving this information along with any dated amendments. Please can we have an assurance that we receive this in a timely fashion and advise accordingly.

We are also pursuing our complaint through the RCBC, Birse and all associated professional and quality bodies.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing back from you.”

We've had a response and have added this to our Streetclub . Joining is free and simple. We will post the response here too at a later date. 

We have compiled a blog with links to key persons who can be made aware and an example letter to help you complain with us. 

http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/dear-friends-of-redcar.html

Here are the links to the rest of this series so far :)

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.Five   

Birse Inspection of Redcar Beach Rubble

Following our Beach Action Group complaints regarding the masonry left behind by Birse Civil on Redcar Beach, Friends of Redcar (FRED) was invited to inspect the beach by James Mead of the Environmental Agency accompanied by a Simon Kirtlan project manager of Birse Civil and Darren Edmunds of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) on the 24th October 2013.

We made it clear from the off that we were under no illusion that the rubble that is turning up along the coastal defences is debris buried by Birse and now re-emerging due to the movement of the sea and the dissipation of the sand. We also presented them with a sample of masonry containing polypropylene fibres, continually turning up along the defences, from the new build.

Varieties of rubble mostly from the destruction of the last sea front that was buried and not disposed of in a landfill

Polypropylene filled masonry used in the building of the Flood Alleviation project.

The inspection covered the Coatham area from the Beacon to the TunedIn building and did not take into consideration the associated problem at the Zetland end of the beach. FRED recognise that not all the rubble is from the Coastal defences work and have maintained that large pieces of weathered rubble further out on the petrified forest and scars have been there for years and should be dealt with by RCBC.

(We will be working with the council to remove these boulders over the next year following our plans to schedule litter/masonry picks to specified locations and times). (http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/redcars-beach-rubble-problem-old-and-new.html)

However, the debris next to the coastal defences is not tidal wash. FRED insists that this IS Birse's responsibility because the broken masonry was buried there by them and now they should 'hold their hands up' and bring in clear-up teams. This includes both the Coatham and Zetland areas of our beach that now resemble landfill and cleared building sites. FRED has requested that a channelled trough of at least 6x6 and probably wider, be dug into the sand along the Coastal Defences and that the sand be sieved and returned - rubble free.

Left to Right: (Just out of shot) Simon Kirtlan (Birse -Project Manager), Darren Edmunds (RCBC liaison) James Mead (Environmental Agency - Project Manager) behind a trailer full of debris collected next to the new defences within a two hour period.

During the inspection the Birse project manager rarely spoke or offered much in the way of an explanation. However, James Mead of the Environmental Agency and project manager over the Birse Coastal contract informed us that Redcar beach already looked "as bad as this when the work began". He went to add that much of the rubble was washed in by the tide. Both these claims were refuted by FRED as well as council employees whose work has included cleaning the beach for years.  James Mead stated rubble was "inert" from an environmental point of view and made it clear that removing sand to be cleaned, was not an option and that at best, Birse would do a couple more sweeps in light of the complaint.

FRED have accepted Birse's (EA's) offer to provide a couple of sweeps and have requested they come back in the Spring too and to provide dates for these actions. We are yet to receive dates for these sweeps or any information of follow up work carried out by them.

However we feels that this is wholly inadequate and stated this on the day.

"In light of the overwhelming evidence, the detrimental visual image and the safety issues to beach-goers, I can't help but feel insulted and even trivialised. I've used the beach for 25 years and for the best part it is now a hideous eyesore along the coastal defences steps." said Carl Quartermain, Chairman of Friends of Redcar. "I have written to the Operations Director of the Regeneration Scheme RCBC saying that this is just not good enough and that the council must do more to bring about a resolve.

"I not only feel a deep lack of concern by the Environmental Agency and a loud silence from Birse but also a reluctance by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to bring the contractor to task for this unsatisfactory clean up. Redcar beach will be turning up this stuff for years and yet RCBC leaders don't seem to be forcing Birse to sort it out. Why?

"It's difficult to understand. If I was in a position of authority in the council I'd jump all over this. Our coastline is our greatest asset and what's happened is inherently bad for the town.

"In any case, regardless of the fact that this year was a chance to show off our new £30 million sea front and facilities, regardless of the fact that Redcar suffers economically and regardless of the efforts to bring in visitors by providing new events, the bottom line is that this is our home and our beach and our council is allowing outside agencies to come in and leave an unforgivable mess that will impact on us for decades."

Linked to

Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.One
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Two
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Three
Redcar's Beach Rubble Problem Old and New

FRED would like to thank Anna Turley (Labour and Co-operative candidate for Redcar) Merily McGivern (Lib Dem) John Colling (RCBC Neighbourhood Maintenance team) Mark Skidmore (FRED committee member) for their attendance and support.


If you feel strongly about this issue and would like to be involved, below are some relevant email addresses. The RCBC have assured FRED that they respond to all concerns.

gary.flynn@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk is the Regeneration Operations Director for RCBC

james.mead@environment-agency.gov.uk is the project manager for the EA

simon.kirtlan@birse.co.uk is the project manager for Birse Civil.

darren.edmunds@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk liaison officer for RCBC

george.dunning@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk leader of RCBC

ian@ianswales.com is the MP for Redcar

Relevant councillors :-
Irene Curr and Josie Crawford (Coatham Ward)
Ron Harrison and Josh Mason (Zetland Ward)

If you would like to become a member and follower of FRED check out the following links:

http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/fred-exclusive-membership-club-details.html
http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/social-media-were-all-over-it.html

or write to friendsofredcar@gmail.com

Redcar's Beach Rubble Problem Old and New

Since we began this “crusade” of removing rubble from our beach following the building of the new coastal defences and striving to get the Environmental Agency and Birse to come back to clean up, one of the criticisms we get is that masonry has been on the beach for decades and that no matter how often we remove rubble it will keep coming back.

We disagree. If material does comes back why does it strategically form only along the new defences? If it is cleaned up we don’t believe it would come back in any great volume or size. The rubble that continually is revealed is the stuff that had been buried old and new next to the defences when the new work was built.

So is there old rubble on the beach from previous developments? Short answer to that is YES. Of course there is. We have never disputed that old rubble has been on the beach for years. And it ain’t pretty! There is lots of old rubble of different shapes and sizes, age and variety. However the amount has multiplied drastically since the work, making it all much more noticeable and undesirable.


There are differences between old and new fabrication that has been exposed to the elements. We have seen so much of it now we could probably start a course on marine rubble. If we had the money to waste we could also examine the varieties and complete an historical survey of the many surfaces that have been used on Redcar's sea front. We haven’t got funds to waste on trivia, but our common sense tells us much of the rubble that is visible, is new.

Not all of it is broken up concrete either. Some of the rubble is house bricks or different types of paving for example. There’s many difference sizes, style and colours, old and new. Further out away from the sea defences are examples of masonry that have been weathered, eroded and shaped over time by the thrashing of the waves.

Selection of Redcar beach rubble. Some are shaped from years on the coast. Other pieces are clearly newly formed.

Commonly formed concrete rubble that has been subjected to the elements for years tends to become darker, often brownish and can be stained with marine growth if static for long enough. It is often shaped and rounded. These examples in Redcar are large boulders that have been in the sea for many years and are 'our' responsibility to remove if we want a beach clean of these eyesores.

Old stained rubble with kelp accessories not far from the Redcar Beacon

Marine life existent on static rubble too heavy to be moved by the sea

Browned and ancient rubble on the petrified forest

This massive piece is next to the Dundas Street slipway (No it isn't a rock!)

The new rubble that has recently been formed and which dwarfs what was originally on our beach, looks clean and often reveals reinforced lengths of polypropylene, used on the new and previous development. This stuff is found next to our sea defences and logically can only be from the installation of the new and the demolition of the old sea defences last year (2012). This same material can be seen on the runaway going down to the beach from Dundas Street and on the bottom few steps along the seaward side of the seawall. Closer scrutiny and you can see the identical fibres protruding where the edges have been damaged.

We are asking that the Environmental Agency come back and do a clean of the areas around the sea defences that are littered with masonry. They state they did a thorough clean up and this rubble was either washed in or has always been there. Our answer to that is if they cleaned up properly the old rubble would have gone with this new stuff. We believe lots of this debris was buried and is subsequently being uncovered by the natural shifting of sand and movement of the sea.

If we recognise this as a problem now, we could easily arrange to get this shifted before the next summer season and visitor attraction campaigns begin. We are waiting for a date when the Environmental Agency will invite us along to carry out an inspection and continue to inform Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council of our information and concerns.

Links:
http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/redcar-flood-alleviation-scheme_27.html

Credits:
Thank you for all the photos. We have many on our system now and will show the many that haven't been published yet. Thanks also to Fred Brunskill for the additional information regarding the polypropylene fibres.