L'ancresse wall repair to be carried out, despite planned removal

Wednesday 11 July 2018

A section of the wall at L’ancresse east, which has been earmarked for removal is having a £5,000 repair, to ensure the "dog leg" section stays straight over winter.

In a statement, Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services said “keeping the wall in place in the short term is important to reduce the possibility of wall failure in advance of the planned coastal realignment.”

Excavation of the wall base and shuttering of the damaged apron will take place before concrete is poured this week, to underpin a failing section of the wall.

There should be no impact on beach users, the statement said, but there will an excavator and dumper truck from the Pembroke slipway at the western end of the bay during the day.

The wall is due to be removed as part of a controversial £1m. "managed realignment" of the bay – but there is yet to be planning permission granted for this to happen. The removal has been subject to a bitter political fight, with the issue culminating in a mass protest at the wall to try and prevent its destruction.

Recently an application to list it as an historical monument was refused. Rock armour has been installed and the plan is to eventually remove the wall and allow the area to return to nature and how it looked before the Germans constructed the wall during the Occupation.

Opposition to the plans continues with a 'Save the L'ancresse Wall' Facebook group continuing to vocalise the campaign against the planned realignment of the bay.