Comments on: Feedback

By: jacko

jacko — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 10:42:48 +0000

No comments since Nov 09, is this site still maintained?
Any, we visited the Haven and Estuary yesterday as part of a walk along the South Downs Way. Never heard of it before, it is very pictoresque (though hard to photo) and a very unusual thing – like seeing a Geography lesson come true.
As we walked, we did not use the car park so don’t know of the costs of that and what happens to the money.
Anyway if the Haven gets 400,000 visitors a year, as the websites claim, why not make everyone pay £1 each (adults only)? For those who want to avoid that by walking over the hills, let them. I’d be happy to pay £1 if I knew what it was for.
The money raised should of course go towards the management of the site.

But be warned, we cannot forever live as if everything has to be preserved in aspic or formaldehyde. The cost of England being maintained as a sort of giant living museum is crazy.

By: Lester Unega Waya

Lester Unega Waya — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:07:50 +0000

To work with Nature means live in harmony with Nature.
It is walking with the Earth, not on it.
The way we live is to blame for global warming and the only
way to halt global warming, is to change our ways.
The global warming is Nature responding to the way we live.
We are polluting the Earth and Nature is saying, ‘global warming is
what you want so global warming is what you get’.
The rise in sea levels is the fruits of our labours.
If we carry on as we are we shall have more.
Severn Cullis-Suzuki says it all with her speech at the Rio Earth summit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0&feature=player_embedded

Take five minutes to listen to a child who silenced the world for 5 minutes.

By: Lester Unega Waya

Lester Unega Waya — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:28:34 +0000

The Beauty of Nature is in the way it functions.
Nature existed before we did, so what right have we to interfere.
We cannot take from the Earth without giving something back.
Man has taken liberties with the Earth that is why the enviroment
is in the sorry state it is.
Untill we appreciate the Beauty of the Natural landscape, we have
not learnt anything.

By: Mary Norman

Mary Norman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:46:59 +0000

I agree the meanders are silting up. It does not appear that they are maintained in a way to minimise this at the moment. I recall that the Cuckmere itself was regularly dredged or cleared and the banks built up when I was a child.

By: L Dan

L Dan — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:57:15 +0000

In response to what Mary Norman has said about preserving the meanders, we really would be doing everything and everyone a favour by using mamaged realignment! The meanders are getting silted up because of the lack of water flowing through them, and because of this in the summer they can boil up without clean water runing though them. Have you ever been down there and seen the amount of dead fish that can be seen floating in the meanders? Another fact is that the farmers sheep would surely be better off drinking from a slightly better source of water, as I don’t really want to think about what might be in there!

By: richard

richard — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:36:17 +0000

I think that its a good idea to flood the cuckmere, But im of the opinion of doing this in stages i.e section of the earth floodbanks being removed so creating saltmarsh and mudflats. Then after a period of time reinstate the flow through the meanders, but if nothing is done and suddenly it floods we will have no control over the way it floods. And then maybe some birdwatching hides could be built.

By: Mary Norman

Mary Norman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:31:47 +0000

Hi,
It would seem to me that one of the main issues here is money. This amazing place is I believe not only the heritage of those who live here but of people everywhere. Since the Environmental Agency has placed constraints upon the ‘purse’, might it therefore be prudent to look as far afield possible for support. As Facebook currently has 250 million active users the page idea suggested by someone earlier would seem to me to be a good suggestion.
I am however pleased that doing nothing at Cuckmere Haven is not an option. The Downs and all the surrounding area are the way they are today as the result of thousands of years of man’s impact upon the landscape. Let us preserve this valley and above all the beautiful Cuckmere river meanders for future generations.

By: Kieran Simkin

Kieran Simkin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:51:42 +0000

>The full strategy was too large to put on our website, but you can obtain a copy by sending an e-mail to: sokes@environment-agency.gov.uk

Speaking as a web developer, this is a poor excuse. Put the damn thing online!

By: L Dan

L Dan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:45:01 +0000

There are many claims opposers to the flooding of the cuckmere are putting forward e.g ‘it will cause flooding upriver’ ‘it will destroy local tourism’ ‘the footpaths will all be lost’ ‘the view will be gone forever’ and finally ‘it will flood the A259′. Is there any proof for any of these whatsoever? Footpaths will be lost, yes, but the EA have already promised to build new ones around the side of the Estuary. Some tourists may also be put off, but plenty more interested in wildlife will visit. As a Birder I know that nothing is better after a cold days birdwatching than visiting the nearest pub to you, so the Golden Galleon will make a tidy sum. For tourists you could have boat trips accross the Estuary, or a ropebridge stretching from Haven Brow to Seaford Head to look down on the wildlife below you, or anything else you can think of, the possibilities are endless! Nobody has any proof that the valley will flood upriver, in fact, the Estuary would act as a basin to store water, making it even less likely. At the moment the EA has to move shingle all the time, but after 10 or so years the river would find it’s own way to the sea without shingle blocking it up. The view may be gone forever, but in my opinion the view will improve. At the moment, I feel it looks a bit bland, not as lively as an Estuary could be. And last but not least, they can build flood defences for the A259, but in my opinion we would all be better off if a new, wider road was built over the Estuary, with a smaller road built down to the Golden Galleon. While this may be expensive, it would solve many problems, not to mention the God awful traffic!

By: L Dan

L Dan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:12:06 +0000

Some people on here seem to be unsure what ‘working with nature’ means, so please allow me to explain.

Although the Cuckmere is currently a SSSI because of it’s ecological benefits, the variety of wildlife in grazing fields such as these is rather limited, flooding the estuary will greatly improve the diversity of wildlife in the valley, therefore this is working with nature.

While a few species will be lost, the number gained will far outweigh them. Also of interest is the fact that this habitat is virtually identical to the fields N of Exceat Bridge, so the creatures that live here will not be lost for good, they will simply exist furhter up the valley as they always have done. Think about it, would you rather see a Seal basking on the Mudflats at low tide and a flock of waders 100+ strong take to the sky wheeling over your head as a Peregrine tries to pick its dinner out of them, or sheep in a grassy field exactly the same as the ones on the other side of the A259?

I will leave that up to everyone else to decide…