Storm over Pagham floods protection

The heated session involved a walk-out by a councillor over comments the homeowners were not interested in the harbour on their doorsteps.

Cllr Michael Coleman (Nyetimber) protested strongly after the chairman of the Pagham Harbour local nature reserve advisory board, Cllr Bill Acraman, said as people left after the public speaking: "We can now see the people genuinely interested in the harbour."

Cllr Coleman remarked he found the comment insulting to the people he represented and left the meeting.

There were five people in the public gallery at the time compared with the 25 when the flooding issue was being discussed.

The fiery gathering took place last weekat the Inglenook Hotel just along the road from the nature reserve.

Pagham Parish Council Cllr Ray Radmall used the public participation slot of the meeting to urge the board members to put people before birds.

He said the county council should allow shingle from a recently-formed spit being used by legally-protected nesting little terns to bolster the West Front Road frontage if a study found that to be necessary when its results were revealed on August 22.

He urged West Sussex County Council, which manages the reserve, to liaise with engineers at Arun District Council to ensure the best protection from flooding for Pagham's frontage.

"People are very, very angry about this," he stated, referring to repeated claims the county council was more interested in the little terns.

This has arisen from the fencing off of the little terns' nests to prevent disturbance on the shingle which has come together in the past three or four years at the expense of the Pagham Beach estate frontage.

Local people feel the fencing has just encouraged more birds at a time when the stones could be needed to replenish their steadily eroding beach.

Lagoon Road resident Ian Lloyd said: "I feel the nature reserve has scant regard for the feelings of local people because of the way they have treated this fencing.

"As far as I can see, the nature reserve doesn't give a damn for local people."

Nyetimber county councillor Mike Coleman said: "My main concern has to be for the safety of the people of Pagham and their home. My second concern is for the safety of the terns."

He stated that he hoped recent meetings between county council officers and Cllr Radmall would lead to a satisfactory solution to the conflict.

But what needed to be done would only be known when the 120,000 expert study was finished.

"I personally pledge I will do anything that needs to be done to stop Pagham from flooding," he said.

Natural England's board member Jon Curson, from the government's body charged with protecting wildlife, said: "I can't see any conflict at all between the nesting terns on Church Norton Spit and protecting homes on West Front Road.

That can be done without any impact on the terns at all."

Paul Smith, from the Environment Agency, said Pagham would never be completely safe from flooding. "If you live in a coastal area, there are no guarantees you can be absolutely protected," he explained.

Later on in the meeting, nature reserve manager Rob Carver denied the comments he was unconcerned about the threat to people and their homes.

"I am very concerned about Pagham Beach and local residents.

"For someone to stand up and say I don't care about them is absolute nonsense.

"These terns are protected by law.

"We have to fence them off to stop the public disturbing them," he stated.

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