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Second reef to fight erosion?


BOURNEMOUTH could be in line for a second surf reef if the one currently being constructed at Boscombe proves a success.

A new reef could be installed at Southbourne, primarily to help protect the beach from erosion.

“We’re pretty confident it will work for coastal erosion as well. If it does we may be able to provide another reef at Southbourne.

Roger Brown, the council’s head of leisure services

But it would also enhance the waves, transforming Bournemouth’s coastline into a true surfers’ paradise.

Roger Brown, the council’s head of leisure services, announced the plans in a BBC Radio Four programme about the Boscombe regeneration project.

Talking about the benefits of the Boscombe reef, he said: “We’re pretty confident it will work for coastal erosion as well. If it does we may be able to provide another reef at Southbourne.

“If it proves itself, you may well see reefs built not just for surfing amenity use but for coastal protection as well.”

The Boscombe reef was scheduled for completion by the end of this month, although poor weather delayed the deployment of the second section of the reef.

The reef debate has largely focused on the economic and leisure benefits of the surf reef rather than its coastal protection benefits.

But, early on in the process, it was suggested that the reef would offer better protection than groynes, as it would reduce the waves’ erosive power before they reach the beach.

The reef’s designer Professor Kerry Black also suggested building a reef at the eastern end of Southbourne, offshore of groyne number 4, in his initial report to the council.

Did you know

He said a single-sided reef would provide coastal protection at a similar capital cost to groynes and funding could be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the lottery sports fund.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Roger West said he fully endorsed the idea of using reefs to protect the coast.

“I am pleased that senior officers in Bournemouth leisure are saying that we should consider reefs as a form of beach protection for Southbourne,” he said.

“This has always been the most natural place to use this method of defence as there is in effect, a natural feature already there which does create interesting surfing conditons. Of course I support the idea of a wide open safe beach that gently slopes down to the sea. This, I am persuaded, would be the result if reefs were constructed along most of Poole Bay.”


Your Say YourEcho

baxi, bournemouth says...
8:23am Mon 20 Oct 08

Does this mean another jolly to New Zealand????

All Seeing Eye, Poole says...
10:02am Mon 20 Oct 08

baxi wrote:
Does this mean another jolly to New Zealand????
or perhaps little brown envelopes given as a 'Thank you'?

Bob49, Bournemouth says...
11:20am Mon 20 Oct 08

Hopefully it will commence only when the Boscombe reef is finished.

2015 perhaps ?

Tango Charlie, Bournemouth says...
12:14pm Mon 20 Oct 08

I think if they sunk a few old ships there, they would not only have a reef but also an Anglers and Divers paradise. For the marine life too.

The navy might have a few they could donate. They have a couple of old obsolete Type 42’s and the Fearless at Portsmouth currently.
OK, for the environmentalists. Properly cleaned and emptied.

A couple of old freighters must be cheaper than the hessian, stone and sand rolls they are using now.

djd, bournemouth says...
1:26pm Mon 20 Oct 08

One step at a time, Bournemouth. Get the first reef up and going- then talk about another one !!

time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
5:28pm Mon 20 Oct 08

The ocean floor changes daily and the origional design is already obselete for the uncompleted sections. The parts already deployed are already influencing the sand below adversly Only the first half of the second of five sections is done - all bets are off for sucess.

a detailed bathymetry survey should now be done so that the remaining bags can be redesigned to suit the new altered ocean floor for the remaining sections . The pooor buggers just cant take a trick can they?

John T, Poole says...
5:53pm Mon 20 Oct 08

Ah well, Mr Brown, if you can't be sure it will work for coastal erosion, I am dam sure it will work for Council Tax erosion!

benjamin, hamworthy says...
10:02pm Mon 20 Oct 08

Surely larger waves will create more erosion?

time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
12:10am Tue 21 Oct 08

oh there also seems to be an error in the report. That is Mr Black is not a Professor and Waikato university may be offended as that title was stripped after he left years and years ago and I dont think they would be in a hurry to be associated with his less than sucessfull endevours. Council sould be carefull on its words for giving people a "false " qualification when they wish to create a diversion. A new phd study at waikaoto has "debunked" any claims of sucess at the maunagnui reef as council may have been exposed to in a "false" report on Austalias ABC the national broadcaster. Bad homework council - back to information verification school for you. Maybe stciking to the right color for bins and there contents??

Bob49, Bournemouth says...
12:26am Tue 21 Oct 08

" although poor weather delayed the deployment of the second section of the reef "

Didn't delay building the flats ABOVE the skyline when the same shyster councillors assured us that no views would be blocked.

A scam from first to last !

"Poor weather" Interesting that the last four weeks have been milder than average for this period. As this is autumn could they explain what happened weather wise that was so unexpected that it held them up ?

And what is the excuse for the work around the pier being months and months behind schedule. The wrong kind of sand on the beach, maybe.

time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
1:01am Tue 21 Oct 08

bob49 , that is the most interesting comment i have heard yet as everywhere everyone has been saying the weather is not suitable for building the reef. The builders of the reef say they must have "perfect conditions"

Is this maybe "money shortage' damage control? The developers who are funding the reef like everybody else would be struggling to supply and sell - ocean front is usually immune just not as lucrative. The reality bites and the spin becomes obvious when the fevour dies down.

Bob I hope you are taking thrice daily photographs that are dated as I am aware of many who would be sooo interested to see them.

Will it be finished by end of october?

Watching You, England says...
1:29am Tue 21 Oct 08

Coming from a professional surfing background , having surfed events in England, you guys can not be serious about these reefs. This company has not completed one of their projects around the world and your council is thinking of a second one.
This story has much more to it , please someone investigate this project thoroughly (not like your council) and you will see the smoke and mirrors played from many paths. Check previous projects and council documentation to quantify these decisions.
This will make a story not only for your papers but on a global scale. No one has bothered to follow up.

Do it and see.

Mullerman, Bournemouth says...
10:46am Tue 21 Oct 08

Cant get google at the Council? 'Success artificial surf reef'

Bob49, Bournemouth says...
1:26pm Tue 21 Oct 08

Might suggest that the Echo actually does a bit of investigative journalism rather than endlessly filling up it's pages with vacuous puff from the council.

To those not wishing to wait until the year dot perhaps you might compare the picture currently adorning the hoardings around Honey Combe flats and what is actually happening.

Perhaps you might care to check the other numerous deadlines that are plastered about and have ALL been missed repeatedly.

And finally note how this 'evidence' will soon hurriedly disappear - guess why.

But then in this selfish and greed fuelled society what does it matter ?

Any number of greedy folk can gather in Bournemouth Square to try and stop 'houses for need' being built. Dozens of the privileged minority can crowd into halls in the New Forest to protest about that open space being managed so as to preserve it for all.

A loss to us all means nothing to these, so who cares. To paraphrase the post war comment -

We took your future for our today.

fedupwithjobsworths, Moordown says...
5:35pm Tue 21 Oct 08

The IMAX would make a nice reef :-)

The Seasider, Poole says...
10:47pm Tue 21 Oct 08

I think the earlier posting of sinking old ships for divers/ fishers is an excellent idea. The whole reef project is very interesting- I hope it works for all the cost involved- it clearly has transformed the built environment around Boscombe, and if it does work then perhaps extending it to Southbourne is a good idea. It must cost fortunes to dredge the entrance to Poole harbour and punp the sand back on the beaches every year.

The more that Bournemouth and Poole and make use of its beautiful and unique seafront, in a way which enhances its attractions, the better the future of this town.

As for suggestions of backhanders etc. because artificial reefs dont work, well perhaps there arent enough built to judge their effectiveness. Surely tides and currents vary from place to place- so fingers crossed it works here!

Watching You, England says...
11:15pm Tue 21 Oct 08

Seasider, you are kidding yourself.
The reason theres none built is this company has FAILED in every attempt to do so. The fact your council did research and concluded this company has been successful shows they are either totally incompetent or they have a second agenda, to which someone mentions brown paper bags.

The fact NO journalist will investigate what is a scam of a global manner shows maybe you guys are gullible enough to just try it.
This company is already making excuses about weather , stating it needs to be perfectly flat to place the reef. How many days do you get that and if its enough for them to install a reef then YOU DONT NEED ONE.
Editor of the ECHO get a team to investigate this company and its past and make a global name for your paper its that simple.

Good luck

Bob49, Bournemouth says...
12:33am Wed 22 Oct 08

" The whole reef project is very interesting- I hope it works for all the cost involved- it clearly has transformed the built environment around Boscombe "

What a load of drivel.

Expensive housing has long been underway in that part of Boscombe. Well before the reef scam was even dreamed up

It was due to this type of development that the idea of making a few bob off flogging off one of our car parks came up.

Tell the dimwitted that a few flats would be built in the corner of the car park to fund a wondrous seafront transformation.

Reality was that a huge development has now taken place with a few odd coppers thrown at chucking a few sandbags in the water.

I await Seasider's explanation for how the wind is caused by the flapping of trees.

Watching You, England says...
2:59am Wed 22 Oct 08

Doesnt take much to see what this company is doing around the world and the PROTESTS that they are creating. Just look at India
http://www.hindu.com
/2007/10/20/stories/
2007102051030200.htm


Come on you guys your council could not see this and the FAILED other projects from this company

Come- on do the research and uncover this blatant SCAM

Echo can do this ,

time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
4:34am Wed 22 Oct 08

i JUST googled ASR tsunami funds diversion in various combinations and I feel sick its an outrage -5000 ARRESTED were also outraged.
whats going on with the way ASR does business?? oops ASW we cant keep track of who we are dealing with here

"Reports indicate that a New
Zealand based marine consultancy firm ASR ‘Amalgamates Solutions and
Research’ Ltd will be paid 4 crore rupees to construct a 500 metre
long artificial reef adjacent to Kovalam beach. The city based Centre
for Earth Science Studies (CESS) is reported to be in support of the
project."

"THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (UCAN) – Police arrested about 5,000 people who joined a Church-organized demonstration protesting Kerala state’s alleged diversion of funds meant for tsunami victims."

just google yourself and the timeline for the fishermen (hungryones that is ) getting angry about getting a surfing reef instead of new boats is easy to determine also the way that reefs got introduced is also explained in detail. Whats this ASR/ASW frim about even the meaning of ASR has changed what are they trying to escape from in all these name changes

The Seasider, Poole says...
1:20am Fri 24 Oct 08

The cynics here are having a field day over this reef business it seems. Lets discuss the issues; Boscombe, council corruption and The Echo not investigating it.
1. Boscombe - is always going to have drug issues, but instead of just being about that- its got new hope and investment to try to stop what seemed like an inevitable slide downwards. Back in the 80s Notting Hill and Islington was as rough and ready as Hackney - but both areas were turned around by demographics and investment. Now the 'Olympics effect' will do the same for parts of East London. So, it is well documented that bold aspirational and inspirational building projects attract investment, entreprenuers and help boost areas. Without the reef and seafront projects, Boscombe would be worse for it.
2. Council & corruption. Councils will continue to make decisions, some good, some not- but on the whole councillors are not part of a giant conspiracy to fritter away every last penny of revenue on pointless projects. They are trying to make the best of things from a stance of civic pride to improve things now and for the future- and they will always be damned if they do and damned if they dont by the cynics. There may be some who are in it to line their own pockets- you will find these people in every possible occupation. And what if the reef works, and attracts huge media attention and the tourists come, spend money in the area an its all a roaring success... will the cynics, naysayers and doubting Thomas's be remember? Ofcourse not. They never are.
3. The Echo. Face facts people. It is never going to be a hard hitting investigative under-cover scoop headline busting publication! It doesnt have the time, the sources, the resources, or the will. Its a friendly family/ retiree orientated provincial paper. A leopard doesnt change its spots. If you want to rock the boat you will need cash to lure out the whistle blowers and some very determined undercover journalistic tactics... it aint gonna happen here! If you want muck to be raked over why not try the TV and print press who do it for a living.

"A light heart lives long"!


time nor Tide, bournemouth says...
11:24pm Fri 31 Oct 08

Actually I've just realised that we are not fully aware of what has been completed.
1.concrete weights
2.a base mat
3.base bags filled -which ones?

is it the small start of ramp bags ?
have two of those little bags been filled?

or is it the the big bags at the top of the "ramp" have two of these been filled for full length?

so if we are to wait for the rest be be built -what is it that we are waiting for?

I remember words of reassurenece from the man-i-charge SURFER David ** that the pump capacity was such that it onlt took a few hours to fill each bag? So which bags were filled little one for full length or big ones for full length,

Could we please be informed?

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ORIGINAL PROJECT: Work began on the Boscombe Surf Reef in August this year ORIGINAL PROJECT: Work began on the Boscombe Surf Reef in August this year

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