The physical processes operating on the cliff are that it is very dangerous and needs careful planning before building a form of revetment.
The problem is the level of the shingle changes during the year causing the exposed base of the cliff to be under cut by the winter high tides and gales
The solution to this is that an approximately 30 meters square mass of boulders more or less the same colour as the cliffs which for the majority of the year will be hidden by the shingle the revetment will virtually eliminate the erosion of the buildings above for this to happen it will take lot of hard work and lots of money.
The effects on the people are that if any form of revetment was built for the protection of the cliff that the cottages and the houses near by the cliff won’t be lost after few years time during to the continuing erosion of the cliff.
The campaign started at 1992 but if u look at the Birling gap history it shows how it all started.
1878; The Admiralty builds eight Coastguard cottages at Birling Gap using a revolutionary
new material called 'no fines' concrete.
1898; A small hotel is opened at Birling Gap. Seven other residential properties were built in
the early 1920's
1951; the cottages pass into private ownership but coastguards continue to man a station,
sometimes risking their lives in sea and cliff-top rescues.
1973; the first cliff-edge cottage is demolished by Hailsham Council. At this point no-one was trying
to save the cottages.
1983; The National Trust purchases Birling Gap for an undisclosed sum. This includes the Hotel,
four of the remaining cottages, the car park and some down land.
1992; At the urging of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Wealden District Council
commission an engineering study by marine engineers, Posford Duvivier, to investigate how to defend
the hamlet of Birling Gap.
1993; Posford Duvivier recommend a rock 'revetment' at the base of the cliff as feasible, realistic
and affordable.
1993; Wealden Council DECLINES to implement the report by Posford Duvivier!
1995; The second cottage is demolished by its owner, The National Trust, who evict the tenant
just before Christmas! The adjoining cottage is damaged in the process.
1996; A new report with a detailed cost/benefit analysis shows that it would be economically
advantageous to build a rock revetment.
1996; Birling Gap Cliff Protection Association formed.
1998; Environmental study reports revetment would cause minimal damage to the area. Legal
opinion establishes National Trusts responsibility to safeguard its neighbour’s properties.
1999; nearly 50,000 signatures gathered to date from the public in support of a rock revetment scheme.
During these times some forms of small defenses have been built but they will not be likely to last longer.
But even though most of the people were campaigning to save Birling gap, there are some other people campaigning against saving Birling gap because like the English nature some people are saying that we should not get in the natures way we should let nature take its course.
In my opinion I think that Birling gap should not be saved because I think like the English nature that we shouldn’t get in the natures way.
