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Plans for Scheme at East Head Submitted

Written by Administrator

Saturday, 20 December 2008 08:46

A planning application has been submitted to Chichester District Council to recycle some 15,000 tons of sand and shingle into the vulnerable hinge and neck area of East Head in Chichester Harbour.

The plan will involve recycling material from the north to the south of East Head to create an enlarged barrier beach that will significantly widen and strengthen the point of the beach where East Head joins the West Wittering car park.

This work is the first step in implementing the new Coastal Defence Strategy for the West Wittering and East Head frontages, and it is hoped it will be undertaken in March 2009.

The strategy is based on the Adaptive Management of East Head and will seek to maintain the social, economic, environmental and navigational value of the feature for the life of the strategy. It will involve responding and adapting to changes at East Head caused by coastal processes and sea level rise with a number of different measures.

The project is being taken forward by a partnership consisting of West Wittering Parish Council, Chichester District Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the National Trust, West Wittering Estate, Cakeham Manor Estate, the Woodger Trust and the Chichester Harbour Conservancy. The Harbour Conservancy will act as the contractor to undertake the works on behalf of the partnership.

The scheme enjoys widespread public support, and, despite no available government funding, will be paid for by some of the partnership members.

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Community News

Launch of Chichester Christmas Festivities

Chichester District's first ever Snow Queen will be joining The Mayor of Chichester, Councillor David Siggs, to turn on the Christmas lights outside the Council House in North Street on Saturday 29 November at 5pm.

The Snow Parade, and fireworks, have been arranged by the City Centre Management Programme. The day's schedule, starting at 10am, will include welcoming two of Santa's live reindeers to the Bell Tower, Chichester Cathedral, where children can have their photos taken with them for publication in the Chichester Observer.

Santa Claus sitting down with a Christmas Tree

The Snow Parade, led by Snow Queen Hayley Woodward of Midhurst, will leave Priory Park at 2pm and go through the main shopping areas. Hayley Woodward, who will celebrate her 20^th birthday on Christmas Day, will be in a carriage led by two white horses. Street entertainment will take over after the parade, with the promise of roller-skating elves, stilt walkers, and many other special attractions.

As darkness falls, Oakwood School Choir will lead the celebrations by singing at HSBC Bank. This will be followed by the Blessing of the Tree at the Market Cross by the Dean of Chichester, the Very Rev Nicholas Frayling. The lights switch-on at 5pm, organised by Chichester City Council, will be followed by the event's spectacular finale; a firework display from Chichester Cathedral Green.

Councillor Maureen Elliott, Portfolio Holder for Economy at Chichester District Council, said: "As we all know, these are difficult times for businesses large and small, but I'm delighted to say that many local retailers have been very supportive of the City Centre Management Christmas programme. Proposals Bridal Wear, Hi Ho Silver, Buzby & Blue, LA Nails, and Boots No.7 all offered prizes for the Snow Queen.

"This promises to be a great afternoon with many activities on offer to keep shoppers and visitors entertained, including face painting, balloon model making, bands and choirs. For many, this event kick starts Christmas preparations, and what a great start it promises to be."

A free programme detailing the seasonal fun is available from the Tourist Information Centre.

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Kite surfer rescued by Hayling Island RNLI is ‘lucky to be alive’

A local kite surfer is lucky to be alive, thanks to the skills of the volunteer lifeboat crew at Hayling Island RNLI, who were searching for him in near gale conditions and fading light.

Both Hayling Island lifeboats, the Atlantic 75 B Class lifeboat and the smaller D Class lifeboat, were launched on Wednesday 1st October at 19.15 to search for the kite surfer who was reported missing to Solent Coastguard after his clothes were found on the beach.

Solent Coastguard coordinated the search in Hayling Bay, which also involved an RNLI lifeboat from Portsmouth. The Hayling Island lifeboats started their search in 2.5 metre waves westwards from the entrance to Chichester Harbour.

Within 15 minutes of the Atlantic 75 lifeboat crew launching to sea, Senior Helm Ian Fiddaman and crew members Andy Ferguson, a senior helm acting as crew, and Jasper Graham-Jones, found the kite surfer approximately one mile from the beach. The 48-year-old man had been clinging to his kite and small board for more than two hours. He was exhausted and suffering from severe hypothermia. He had gone out kite surfing from Hayling Beach at 4.30pm and at 5pm his gear had broken and he was unable to get back to the shore.

The casualty, who lives on Hayling, was taken on board the lifeboat and after a trip back through rough seas in the entrance to Chichester Harbour, was landed at the lifeboat station within 10 minutes, where he received further medical attention before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

Ian Fiddaman, Senior Helm, says, ‘He was very lucky to be found so quickly as he was wearing a dark wetsuit and the black and white kite he was clinging to in the water were not easy to see in the poor light and rough sea.’

Fellow crew member, Andy Ferguson said that the kite surfer owes his life to Ian’s professional boat handling skills in very difficult conditions and his great local knowledge of the tides and currents. He was also very lucky that the lifeboats were launched so quickly once the alert had been raised as the crew were already in the boathouse for a training evening.