Strengthening Coastal Community Partnership

This year we have again secured financial support from the Environment Agency’s ‘Championing Coastal Coordination’ fund, and we are pleased to invite community organisations from across the Deben Estuary to share their experiences, learning, and engagement at this informal workshop in Woodbridge. This event – a day of short talks, focussed discussion groups, and a networking lunch – will be an opportunity for us as individuals and communities to support and learn from each other.

Drawing on the highly successful beach monitoring project by the Bawdsey and Alderton communities over the past decade, and the creation and continued development of information and action centres across the catchment, we will be exploring how we can collectively expand and contribute to a local forum that enables a healthy exchange of information between the many and varied community groups engaged in projects and campaigns across the entire estuary.

As well as the immediate learning and networking benefits, key insights from the day and the participants will provide valuable input for the new Estuary Management Plan.

RSVP with any specific food requirements by 29 February 2024 to Helene Burningham: debensoundings@gmail.com

The Deben Climate Centre (a DEP partner organisation) have today published a detailed report on E.coli and phosphate pollution in the River Deben. Written by scientists and local residents Bill Brammar PhD and David Findley PhD, it is the result of more than 12 months of sampling and testing results from 26 locations in the upper, non-tidal reaches of the River Deben.

As set out in our constitution, DEP must hold at least one public meeting each year. So our next DEP meeting (January 2024) will be open to the public.

Date and Time: 09:30 to 11:30 on 18 January 2024

Location: Deben Room, East Suffolk Council offices, Melton, Suffolk IP12 1RT

The Suffolk Coast Forum ‘takes a partnership approach to flood and coastal erosion risk management on the coast and estuaries and closely related issues in the context of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach’ The partner organisations include: Alde & Ore Community Partnership; Stour & Orwell Estuaries Management Group; Bawdsey Coastal Partnership; Blythe Estuary Partnership; and the Deben Estuary Partnership. Other member organisations include: Environment Agency, Natural England; Suffolk Coasts and Heaths AONB; Coastal Partnership East; Marine Management Organisation; and others. The Forum is chaired by Councillor David Bevan.

Following twelve months of river water sampling, Anglian Water will be holding a ‘Question and Answer’ session to share a summary of the year’s findings and how they propose using that data to propel any actions needed at their own treatment works and other parts of the Anglian Water networks.

The DEP, as well as other local stakeholders, has been invited to this meeting, which will take place on 14 November 2023 at the Kings Head, Woodbridge, starting at 11am.