This article highlights three current new items involving coastal and marine developments.
Coastal Quarrying: Developers plan to quarry millions of tonnes of rocks in Cornwall order to construct tidal energy lagoon in Swansea Bay
Plans to quarry rocks for a new Government-backed green energy scheme could devastate a quiet rural area of the Cornish coastline, furious residents have claimed. Developers want to reopen the disused Dean Quarry on the Lizard Peninsula and ship millions of tonnes of rocks from the site to build a massive sea wall more than a hundred miles away in Swansea Bay. The six-mile sea wall in Swansea would create a “tidal lagoon” with turbines that could harness the power of the sea to generate electricity, in a scheme that ministers have backed as part of the National Infrastructure Plan. But residents near Dean Quarry, which has been shut down since 2008, fear their livelihoods and tranquil lifestyles could be ruined as the company behind the plans wants to quarry far greater quantities of rocks than ever before. It also wants to build new jetties and a 585-yard breakwater at the site, despite the area of Cornish coast recently being designated as a Marine Conservation Zone. To read more click here.
Rame Head dump site – update
MMO ‘The MMO has provided an update on proposed changes to dredging and disposal activities on behalf of HMNB Devonport.The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has provided an update on proposed changes to dredging and disposal activities on behalf of HMNB Devonport. The MMO has held negotiations with representatives of the ‘Stop Dumping in Whitsand Bay’ campaign group which brought a claim for judicial review challenging the MMO’s decision to grant a marine licence for dredging activity at HMNB Devonport and disposal of material at the Rame Head South disposal site.
Having reviewed the matter the MMO actively sought to resolve these proceedings by reaching agreement with the campaign group on an order quashing the licence. This order was made by the High Court on Monday 2 February 2015. While the MMO believes its decision about the existing licence in relation to the dredging and disposal activities was substantially correct and in accordance with relevant environmental law, it acknowledges that its records in this case do not adequately record or explain its decision making. The MMO has recently been involved in talks with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) about the future of important dredging activity at HMNB Devonport and disposal of material at the Rame Head South site. To read more go to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/future-of-dredging-at-her-majestys-naval-base-devonport
Dogger Bank wind farm gets the go-ahead
The world’s biggest offshore wind scheme has been given the go-ahead off the coast of Yorkshire. The Dogger Bank Creyke beck project is set to the one of the UK’s biggest power stations although the developers have yet to take the final decisions over the scale of investment.
http://www.edie.net/news/6/Dogger-Bank-Creyke-Beck-offshore-wind-farm-consent-2015/