SOS to save town from sea erosion

Call to see council’s plan to protect residents

Angus residents and politicians have sent council chiefs an SOS as a town’s treasures slip into the North Sea.

Coastal erosion has been a constant concern in Montrose since 1994 but townspeople believe the rate of dune decline at the beach and links golf course has quickened in the last three years.

Rick Brown, the captain of Royal Montrose Golf Club, contacted MSP Mike Rumbles when it emerged Angus Council planned to remove rock armour beside the links, a move he termed an “unacceptable and avoidable loss” at the world’s fiftholdest course.

And a cross-party group of MSPs — Mr Rumbles, Mairi Evans and Liam Kerr — have now demanded to know the council’s plans for tackling the erosion.

A North East MSP has accused Angus Council of being “content to leave Montrose to the sea” in a row over its response to coastal erosion.

Liberal Democrat Mike Rumbles has accused the local authority of passing responsibility for the town’s coastal defences on to the golf links.

MSPs from across the political divide have joined forces to press the council over the problem.

A joint letter from Mr Rumbles, Conservative Liam Kerr and SNP member Mairi Evans has demanded to know what measures are planned to ensure the town’s protection.

It follows concerns that work carried out by the council has removed some of the rock armour protection around the course – the fifth oldest in the world.

Mr Rumbles described the council’s position as “incredibly short-sighted”.

He said: “The course is an important local business and if they are forced to relocate it is just a matter of time before the dunes erode all the way back to residential areas of the town.

“This is an opportunity for the council and the Scottish Government to grab the bull by the horns and work together with the golf club to protect Montrose for decades to come. Instead they seem content to leave Montrose to the sea.

“I will continue to argue for funding, but for the moment the links have been forced to look at other ways the project can be financed through grants and loans.”

Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East Region, said: “We have seen the devastating consequences of flooding elsewhere in the north east, with the impact of Storm Frank on areas like Royal Deeside still fresh in the mind.

“The warning from the Royal Montrose Golf Club could not be more stark – just one storm at spring tide could cause severe flooding that would affect not only the golf links but businesses and households through the town itself.”

“I should stress that this is not a political issue – there is cross party support from Scottish Conservative, Liberal Democrat and SNP MSPs from the North East region. “We all want what is best for the area. “In fact, we welcome the work that Angus Council has done so far.

“However, given the constraints on local government budgets, we may well require the intervention of the Scottish Government in order to protect the town.”

Mairi Evans MSP said: “We have the same goal on this – to find the best solution for Montrose – so rather than tackling it individually, it makes complete sense for us to put politics to the side and get the very best outcome for our community.”

This is an opportunity for the council and the Scottish Government to grab the bull by the horns and work together with the golf club to protect Montrose for decades to come. MIKE RUMBLES MSP

Liam Kerr MSP is part of a cross-party group that is demanding to know how the council plans to save Montrose from the sea.