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Fears For Clovelly Harbour's Future - 11th March 1977

11.3.1977 Clovelly Harbour
 

The future of Clovelly's picture postcard harbour and the safety of its beachside cottages could be threatened unless action is taken quickly to repair the breakwater which protects the centuries old harbour wall it was warned yesterday.
A repair scheme could cost upto £30,000 and the problem is who should pay the bill.
The harbour is owned by the Clovelly Estate Company and its managing director, Captain M W B Kerr, told the Gazette this week: "We cannot afford to pay for the work."
Up to now the Department of the Environment have refused to help financially but there were signs this week that Devon County Council may be trying to persuade them to change their minds.
In recent months the situation has worsened to the position where Clovelly residents are seriously worried about the situation. "The last time any major repair work was carried out was 1886" said Capt Kerr. "In the circumstances it has lasted very well indeed but in recent years more and more of the breakwater has been washed away in the winter gales and the swell into the harbour is likely to damage boats and the walls of the houses which rest right on the foreshore."
He explained that major contract work was essential if the deterioration was not to continue. "We are not dealing with bricks and mortar but with huge concrete slabs weighing several tons" he pointed out.
There were fears that if the breakwater was destroyed it would only be a matter of time before the harbour wall was breached and the harbour - a listed national heritage, said Capt Kerr - left at the mercy of the sea. "It is an open-ended situation" he said. "One thing can lead to another. We don't know what would happen but it is a risk we don't want to take. The position is acute and it can only get worse. People are worried - they are bound to be."
The situation was highlighted on Wednesday when Mr Ted Pinne, chairman of the County Council's Amenities and Countryside Committee, visited Clovelly to judge for himself the extent of the villager's concern.
Eighteen months ago it was reported that general deterioration of the breakwater had speeded up considerably but efforts made them to obtain financial grants for reinforcement work were unsuccesfful. Torridge District Council were unable to help and the Department of the Environment found that Clovelly harbour did not meet the criteria necessary to qualify for aid under the Coast Protection Act.

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