Letters: The silent majority will support Environment Agency

Over the past few months, I have been reading views of local people about the Environment Agency (EA) consultation on the draft pathways for coastal management between Milford-on-Sea and Lymington. Much has been written about the long-term conclusion that Hurst Spit will continue to migrate landwards, and then after 10 or 20 years, to possibly withdraw ongoing maintenance and let nature continue to take its course.

There are many who live alongside the coast or have businesses at the waterfront who are deeply concerned about loss of property or their businesses if the spit is not maintained. Living as close as anyone does to Hurst Spit, I too have concerns, but have a different outlook to that which has already been written in the A&T.

Years before we moved to Milford, we were already aware of terms such as climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, in fact, back as far as the late 1930s the term ‘Callendar effect’ was already being dismissed by meteorologists. Guy Callendar had by 1938 developed a theory that linked rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to global temperatures.

Moving to any low-lying coastal home or creating or running a business in a coastal area was always going to be a risk, but it was one that my wife and I chose to bring up our three children. All live within a mile or two of the coasts so remain close to rising sea levels.

My own interest is primarily in local wildlife and conservation and having lived in Milford-on-Sea for the past 37 years, I wonder whether a view from the silent majority might be worth airing.

It seems that simply by doing their job, the Environment Agency has come under tremendous fire from pressure groups, probably representing a relatively small number of people.

We often hear from minority groups that dominate media attention, and while they continue to make their point, the silent majority keep their views close to their chests. I think that when the EA’s public consultation is over, we will see that it will be the silent majority that supports the EA’s conclusions on much of its management proposals and that working with nature is the most sensible way forward.

A personal point of view is that, within tightly controlled government guidelines, the EA conclusions will do their best to protect people and businesses but will also ensure that our rapidly diminishing wildlife and protected habitats are also looked after.

Keith Metcalf

Milford