Last chance to save Anegada beach
This is a situation that has been threatening the integrity of the Keel Point beach for quite a number of years. The beach is extensively eroded and is getting worse with the passage of time.
The cottages at Keel Point beach are owned by Mr Rudolph W. Francis who explained that the problem of the erosion of the beach, which in his estimation is about over 500ft long, was hit by high and heavy waves fueled by a tsunami approximately five to six years ago. “I can’t recall the exact year, but it was a really big tsunami about five or six years ago that sent the waves crashing into the beach.”
He said that ever since, the erosions have gotten worse with the passage of time and his plea for assistance to arrest the erosion is falling on deaf ears. “But they say that in the next two weeks some contractors will be coming in to start working on the problem,” said Mr Fraser. He added he had appealed to past and present ministers of Government and is finally confident that something will be done.
“Everything sounds positive and I am confident that finally they are coming to have the problem addressed and fixed.” said the Anegada resident.
A visit of to the beach by Virgin Islands News Online revealed the extent of the erosion. The sand walls along the beach bore evidence of constant erosion. The long line of coconut trees, along what is now the edge of the beach wall, are mostly exposed and with just a few heavy lashes of waves, the trees could be gone.
The concrete foot path leading down to the beach has been seriously eroded as well to the extent of it being cracked in several areas, undermined and parts severed. What is of major concern to Mr Francis is the fact that the integrity of his cottages is seriously being threatened. “It has really affected business as per say but what I am concerned about is the cottages, and you see the coconut trees will all soon be down on the beach,” he said.
This was also witnessed by Director of Tourism, Mrs Sharon Flax-Mars who, along with a team of officials from the BVI Tourist Board, was on a visit to the island. Mrs Flax-Mars did say she was reliably advised that Conservation Department is aggressively addressing the matter.
Contacted yesterday afternoon, February 25, 2013 Acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Mr Kelvin Penn confirmed that a contractor out of Barbados has been identified and works are scheduled to commence soon. However, he referred this news site to the Department for Disaster Management (DDM) for further details since, according to him, it is the agency through which the project is being channeled. Efforts to make contact with DDM proved futile.
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13 Responses to “Last chance to save Anegada beach”
The man said he has been asking both Governments for help and finally thinks something will be done. You do the math and stop being a stupid puppet chatting $h1t.
Town and Country Planning needs to review and adjust the codes to better suit conditions and potential threats from wave action on Anegada and other islands. If government won't do it, then the insurance companies should demand that owners situate their building well inland to protect against such loss.
I have never understood why people would build so close to the water here and all over the world. The potential for flooding, flood damage and severe weather is just too great.
The cottages were built by a local from Anegada as far as im aware who then sold them on to Mr Francis. The goverment should fine him for putting those sand bags which are so unsighlty on the beach and change the natural state of the high tide mark.
The cottages are built way too close to the high tide mark actually on it as the first one which has collapsed can testify too.
I was on Anegada a few weeks ago and walked along the sand bags and saw the mess and destruction just left to rot by this Mr Francis. Instead of helping him change the waterline, which in the years ahead will always claim back which belongs to it, get a bulldozer and flaten it all lift the rubble away and let the old cottages be used for foundations for new ones to be built at least 150ft back from the high tide mark as stated in Town & County Planning Codes!
Then charge him, this is private land and i'm sure the government will be getting no money once the villas are up and running making money!