Fears this weekend’s high tides could see the Mary Stanford Lifeboat House collapse into the sea have led five local people to take direct action. Using farm tractors and trailers they placed large rocks in front of the structure to protect it from the waves.
The iconic building is preserved to remember one of Rye’s darkest days and stands on shingle which is constantly being washed away along the beach at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. The foundations of the Lifeboat House have now been exposed, putting its structural stability at extreme risk.
“It cannot be allowed to fall into the sea,” said Philip Merricks from Icklesham who led the team who took matters into their own hands. “The sea won’t wait for the agencies responsible for the coast to do something. We had to take action.”
For the last two weekends, the five men have used the farm equipment to move the rocks from an Environment Agency stockpile.
The Mary Stanford Lifeboat House is a listed building maintained as a tribute to the 17 crew who died during a rescue in Rye Bay in 1928. For many years it has been protected by a secure bank of shingle held in place by wooden groynes.
Whilst the shingle bank is restored several times a year by the Environment Agency, the wooden groynes have fallen into disrepair because of what’s described as a “non-intervention policy” put in place by Natural England.
Philip Merricks, whose father died in another lifeboat tragedy in Rye Bay in 1970, says the two agencies, together with the Marine Management Organisation, have been unable to come up with a plan to protect the building. “They are trapped in a three way state of bureaucratic paralysis where holding meetings to agree to write a plan to save the lifeboat house is regarded as action.”
Writing in this week’s Rye News he says his group of friends saw urgent action was needed. “The sea won’t wait for head office officials to write their next strategy document before the moment of truth arrives when high tides coincide with high winds and destroys the building. I emailed the Environment Agency to let them know what we’ve done. I’ve heard nothing back.”
Natural England and the Environment Agency have been approached for comment.
Image Credits: Philip Merricks , James Stewart .