When you are able to return to Instow beach you may find more sand dunes than on your last visit. A project to reduce flooding and manage the sand better on Instow beach has launched this week led by the North Devon Biosphere. This follows on from a sand management meeting chaired last September by then District Councillor for Instow and now also MP for North Devon, Selaine Saxby. The multi-agency meeting brought together County, District and Parish Councils with the beach owner, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Andrew Bell and the Biosphere team to devise a long-term approach to the repeated issue of sand encroaching on the highway in the village.
The project is based on one which has been successful in Swansea and is designed to keep the sand within the ecosystem, whilst preventing it repeatedly making the road through Instow village unsafe. The ongoing costs to the County Council and landowner have been unsustainable, and this new approach is hoped will contain the sand in the most environmentally sustainable manner. Sceptics may recall a similar scheme being tried some years ago, however, the timings and detail of this approach are much more detailed and there is an estimated 80% chance of success.
Selaine said of the project:
“I am so pleased that these works have been able to go ahead despite the current coronavirus situation. The first week after I was elected as District Councillor the road through Instow was closed following an accident and so I was instantly involved in trying to find a sustainable solution. The multi-agency meeting was hugely helpful as there are so many different groups involved in managing our beautiful beach and estuary in Instow. There was a full sand clearance on the road last November as well as on the beach to try and ensure we got through the winter without further road closures. This week’s works mark the start of the longer term phase which I very much hope will be successful. Thank you to all the agencies involved who have worked brilliantly together to come to this solution.”
Andrew Bell, Biosphere Reserve Coordinator and Service Manager said:
“We have been ahead of the curve in working with natural processes to address problems. The previous system of cleaning the sand was costing Devon County £30,000 per annum. If this project succeeds, it will save far more than this and reduce the flood risk in a few homes. These projects can only work where there is an established partnership in this case between Environment Agency, the County, District and Parish Councils, Natural England and ourselves; each contributes their skills and resources to the design and process”
