Environment and Landscape

ANTI-TANK WALL

 For over fifteen years the Council has made many representations to the Environment Department concerning the state of disrepair the anti-tank wall was in.

The undermining of the wall from the middle to the east has been of particular concern to the Council as a “Do Nothing” approach, as recommended by the Posford Duvivier report, will result in a large area of the common vanishing forever.

Erosion to this area is caused by the sea overtopping the wall and with nowhere to run it then seeps down through the soft soil and escapes under the bottom of the wall undermining the foundations.

In the Council’s opinion several nine inch holes drilled through the wall at ground level would alleviate this problem but were informed in 2006 by Deputy Flouquet, Minister for the Environment Dept., that installing weep-holes would be of no benefit.

Recent events have overtaken the Council’s attempts to save the wall when the States decided to remove it.

The environment Department is presently planning to seek Planning Permission to remove part of the anti-tank wall at the Eastern end of L’Ancresse Bay, to which the Council, along with other interested parties, will raise objection.

It is the duty of the Vale Commons Council to protect the commons and to this end public support plays an important part.