Saturday 8 March 2008

Heugh Breakwater and £170,000 Consultancy Fees

Hartlepool council's appetite for spending on Consultants now includes £170,000 to look into sea defences for the Town Wall area of Hartlepool’s Headland. The appointed experts may even consider the need for the erection of a breakwater! Having lived or worked on the headland most of my life I was under the impression we already had a breakwater. A big stone structure that sticks out into the sea near the paddling pool? Isn’t that a breakwater? As regards the need for it then I’m fairly certain the Victorians didn’t build it on a whim!

It will take 18 months to prepare this report. If they would like to give me a ring I can show them the Heugh Breakwater in about 18 minutes. Alternatively they could look at the numerous reports that have been produced on this matter going back over the last 30 years at least. I found on line references to reports as far back as 1978 when "Central Design and Modeling Services" carried out an investigation into effects of abandoning the Heugh breakwater.

More recently the Heugh breakwater was extensively discussed (and a report prepared) by the Culture, Leisure and Transportation Portfolio meeting on Tuesday, 14th November, 2006.

Why is it that there always appears to be plenty of money for Hartlepool Council to bring in consultants and have studies carried out but after all the talk and the fees are paid the Council rarely seems to actually do anything!

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