Burnham: Sailors already avoiding river as Wallasea Island shipments near (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Burnham: Sailors already avoiding river as Wallasea Island shipments near

9:00am Friday 13th July 2012 in News

Burnham: Sailors already avoiding river as Wallasea Island shipments near

Sailors are already beginning to shun the River Crouch as Burnham braces itself for a huge increase in ship movements, it has been claimed.

The RSPB, which is spearheading the Wallasea Island Wild Coast project, insists it is working hard, alongside the Crouch Harbour Authority, to minimise the impact on river users.

Hilary Hunter, public engagement manager at the RSPB, acknowledged up four ships a day would soon be transporting five million tonnes of spoil from London’s Crossrail Project to the island, which is opposite Burnham on the south side of the River Crouch.

She insisted the shipping, which has now been delayed from starting until the end of July or start of August, will be “carefully managed” by the harbour authority.

But yachtsman Adrian Fluker, a former vice commodore of Burnham’s Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, said sailors were already giving the area a wide berth.

He said: “The sheer magnitude of the unloading facility has certainly come as a surprise to some and its effect has already been felt by the users of the river, particularly racing yachtsmen who now have to navigate around the wharf.

“Recreational activity on the river appears to be less this year than in previous years".

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