Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.One

Hi all, 

To keep everyone up to speed with our Beach Action Group complaint regarding building debris on the beach and our endeavour to bring the contractor (Balfour Beatty - Birse Civil) back to clear up the rubble, below is the initial email, links and photos sent to the Environmental Agency and Birse Civil. 

We have received replies from the Environmental agency (See Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part Two) but sadly not a single reply from any of the Redcar officials copied into this post. 

We believe our beach is worth investment as part of a process to attract visitors and holiday makers onto the beach (in their swimming costumes!) and to change the perceptions that prevents Redcar becoming a viable holiday resort like Scarborough and Whitby. 

Enjoy and look out for the updates 

Dear Sir/Madams,

I represent a community action group in Redcar called "Friends of Redcar" (FOR) and am writing this email on behalf of our committee, residents and visitors of Redcar. 

For transparency I have copied into this post; Balfour Beatty (Birse Civil); the FOR committee; Zetland and Coatham councillors and neighbourhood teams; Ian Swales - MP for Redcar, George Dunning - Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough council (RCBC) and Vic Jeffries - Mayor. (*Please can you assist us by forwarding this email to any relevant department/persons and/or replying with appropriate advice, protocols and actions.)

We were advised to contact the Environment Agency due to our concerns over the amount of building debris remaining on our beach following the Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Spring 2012. We are hopeful that the Environment Agency can clearly steer us towards the correct course of action.

I have also sent a copy of this email to:-

Birse Civil Head Office 2200 Century Way, Thorpe Park, Leeds LS15 8ZB

We would draw your attention to the following links in support of our concern. I have also attached some photographs.

http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/friends-of-redcar-first-beach-action.html

http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/friends-of-redcar-hit-beach-again.html

http://friendsofredcar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/a-short-film-of-redcar-beach-august-2013.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-23577326

It is our belief that we have building debris all along our coastline because the beach was not cleaned up thoroughly after the coastal defence work was completed. We believe the responsibility for carrying out a thorough clean up of the beach area, all along the new coastal defences and in part further out where large pieces of rubble have been found, lies with Balfour Beatty (Birse Civil) who carried out the work, along with any inspection team who signed the work off (if indeed it has been signed off.)

We have been advised by RCBC that they are, or will be, in contact with Birse Civil (Tel: +44 (0) 113 821 3400) to get action and will keep our group informed of developments. Representatives from our group will gladly assist in highlighting and removing these unsightly and often dangerous reminders of our old defences.

We very much look forward to receiving your response and to find a way forward so that as a group we can concentrate our efforts on lifting litter off our beach and not masonry. Thank you.

Best regards,

Carl Quartermain 

Co-Founder and Chairman of Friends of Redcar on behalf of all our beach users.

If you would like to add your own comments for the Environmental Agency office in Newcastle and Balfour Beatty Birse Civil office - here are their contact details. Please do let us know how that communication goes.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/contactus/36336.aspx

Email: Gemma Alecks Customers and Engagement Officer
Mr. James Mead (Project Manager)
0191 203 4105

northeast-newcastle@environment-agency.gov.uk

http://www.balfourbeattycsuk.com/contact-us/

2200 Century Way

Thorpe Park

Leeds

LS15 8ZB

Tel: +44 (0) 113 821 3400

If you require the contact details of any of the Redcar Officials please let us know and we'll happily forward them. Thanks

This series continues here:
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Two
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Three
Redcar Flood Alleviation Scheme Complaint Part.Four

Impending closure of the Redcar Crown Post Office on Cleveland Street

Friends of Redcar condemn the Royal Mail's decision to franchise the Crown Post Office in Redcar and see it as asset stripping.

On the 6th September the Communication Workers Union. CWU held a meeting at the Coatham Memorial Hall to discuss the decision by Royal Mail to close their Crown Post Office in Redcar.

The plan is to franchise with another business, similar to the decision made in Middlesbrough locating the service upstairs in W.H.Smith and disliked by pensioners, disabled people and parents with young children.

Carl Quartermain, who attended the meeting said, "The general consensus amongst residents is that this would be an unforgivable loss and they would fight it. The Post Office had £94 million profit last year and paid out £15.4 million in bonuses to senior managers, including a 37 per cent increase to CEO Paula Vennells - raising her earnings to £697,000. Redcar's Post Office located on Cleveland Street is one of 76 Crown Post Offices facing closure or franchise.

"When pushed the attending Royal Mail management said that they would listen to residents' concerns but I felt these were empty words and my gut feeling is a deal has already been done and the meeting was set up by the CWU 'after the horse has bolted'. This is happening while residents around Roseberry Square shops are crying out for a post office - and it so happens there's an empty unit waiting to be filled."

FSB Teesside are currently relaunching their "Keep Trade Local" campaign to bring awareness to the loss of business within town centres. Carl added, "We fully endorse the FSBs campaign. We recognise that closure to the Crown Post Office could have serious implications to the businesses around that area. It's not just about the heritage, it's the effect this will have on trade. Shutting this office will undoubtedly mean losing an immeasurable amount of footfall from customers who use the postal services in this location".

For more links on this story see below:

The Northern Echo
Communications workers union 

Friends of Redcar conquer the beach again

On Sunday 1st September Friends of Redcar carried out their second successful beach litter pick. This time the focus of attention was on the Zetland area of the beach. Starting at the Zetland Park roundabout our 35 volunteers worked their way along the beach towards the Zetland lifeboat museum.

We collected 50 bags of litter and created 8 piles of rubble for Redcar and Cleveland borough council to remove the following morning. Natalie Williams co-founder of Friends of Redcar said "Over the two litter picks we have removed more than 5 tons of brick and rubble. We can raise awareness to reduce litter but building debris is a different problem. We intend to continue our focus on this issue. Our beach shouldn't resemble a building site". 

 The building debris found along the length of the new coastal defences is believed to have been left from the regeneration work carried out by Birse Coastal. Friends of Redcar chairman Carl Quartermain raised the issue with the council at their inaugural meeting. Carl said "The council have requested that Birse Coastal return and clear up. We shall also contact Birse but as the work has been signed off, I doubt we'll see them again." He added "Redcar is our home. As community representatives we would request involvement with inspecting building/demolition work carried out to ensure the clean up is sufficient."

Thank you to everyone who got involved and showed just how much you care about our home, Redcar.

 Friends of Redcar are a growing community action group examining issues that have a negative visual affect on tourism, business and residents and bring action to them. Our next open meeting is at 6:30pm on the 18th September at TunedIn. Join us!

For more images check our pinterest page

Friends of Redcar Inaugural Meeting

Friends of Redcar held their first meeting today in front of 30 people. We'd like to thank Fred Brunskill and the Zetland Lifeboat Museum for allowing us to hold our first meeting here. 

In time we shall publish the minutes and house them on our new Streetclub page which we're trialling as a place to keep us (and you) organised :)

Carl Quartermain, Fred Brunskill and Natalie Williams

The main crux of this meeting was to formally establish roles for Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. This was achieved with the help of John Colling from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council who kindly came along to help us officiate. We also created a committee of 12 members and agreed on our constitution. 

The main discussion points were related to;

• the reasons why we wanted to create this particular community action group
• the concerns surrounding Redcar beach
• the concerns regarding the Regent cinema
• the concerns regarding fracking in Kirkleatham
• efforts to approach similar groups in Redcar
• gaining knowledge and access to funding
• Plans, ideas and events

Thank you to all who attended and for the enthusiasm behind our discussions. We hope to make Redcar a better place by leading from the community. Join us and help bulk up our numbers. The more voices the harder it is not to listen. Our next litter pick is on Sunday 1st September at 10am starting at the Zetland Park roundabout. See you there.