862 During this oral hearing commitments were made in public by Sisk/Park Developments and Wicklow County Council with regard to coastal protection of Greystones North Beach. On behalf of the developers Mr Clon Ulrick, Associate Director at Arup, stated:
So, How Safe Is Greystones’ Coastline…?
One local resident lists the broken promises that led us here
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Sisk did add some 1000’s (8?) of tonnes of ‘beach nourishment’ about 2 years ago. Completely swept away now – it was horrible stuff. It’s only worth was to allow you to walk as far that gap bridge.
Fully agree with facts in article and comments above. As far as I can see the rock amour in large parts fell/rolled into the see during the storms of 12/13 making that part of the beach impassable even at low tide.
In my time here and prior to the breakwater one could see the level of the beach rise and fall maybe a metre or so but in general terms the beach was naturally maintained. Not anymore. High tide now laps against the clay cliffs with accelerated rates of erosion. Conversely we have now what looks likes a permanently wide South Beach – most probably feed with sediment from the North Beach.
It can only be categorised and monumental vandalism as a result of short term gain (or greed if you prefer).
I can only assume that it will require man made intervention to help nature restore the beach but that would be for ‘real’ experts to figure out. I wonder would construction of off-shore ‘rock breaks’ like these help? http://peitavy-valras-plage.notaires.fr/supplement/334105/PHOTOS/7761/VP%20DSC_5861_1.jpg
Not even remotely surprised. How could you believe anything from a developer’s mouth?
Building hard structures such as the new breakwaters at Greystones Harbour on the shoreline acts as a block in longshore drift carrying sediment to beaches. This results in a condition called “beach starvation” as the beach is literally starved of replenishing sediment and leads to the destruction of the beach. It was confirmed at the Bord Pleanala oral hearing that the construction of the two new breakwaters at Greystones Harbour would greatly increase coastal erosion on the soft shoreline north of the breakwaters and would create an ongoing dependence on beach nourishment. Without beach nourishment the result expected was severely increased erosion of the cliff to the north of the development. Following the construction of the two new breakwaters and the subsequent failure of Sisk to comply with their planning obligations to nourish the North Beach it has now eroded in a catastrophic fashion.