Our homes in Pagham are at risk - because of a flock of birds

Flood-threatened Pagham residents have complained their lives are on hold '“ because of a flock of birds.

The renewed presence of the little terns at Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve has been trumpeted by conservationists.

But the birds' nests on Church Norton Spit have led Natural England to reject plans to take some of the spit's shingle in September for a crucial flood defence scheme.

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This is necessary to make good the erosion which has worn away part of the Pagham Beach frontage to put hundreds of properties potentially at risk from the sea.

Among those on the Pagham Beach estate whose life has been blighted by the situation is Lagoon Road resident Chris Shepherd.

She has lived on the estate since 1970 when she was seven. She said: "People's homes, their lives and their livelihoods are at risk here. It's horrible to live like this.

"You can't sell your home. You are just on hold. Nobody seems to care about us.

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"We are having to live our lives with this flooding issue hanging over us all the time, though I know we are not going to be flooded tomorrow."

Some of the elderly residents on the estate were frightened by what could happen, she stated. They did not want to be bussed to the Arun Leisure Centre in Felpham under the emergency plans.

She said the terns had always nested in the harbour, but the spit had been formed only a few years ago. "That spit is not proper land. It's not permanent and it will move again," she added.

Harbour Road resident Steve Paige said: "I don't think the people who are saying we can't use the shingle from the spit would say that if it was their homes at risk. They wouldn't be putting the little terns first then.

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"There has to be a balance between the interests of people and what happens to the little terns. Why can't there be a middle way?

"I've lived here for 30-odd years and those terns have nested elsewhere in the harbour before the shingle bank was formed about five years ago and they would nest somewhere else again if it went."

This is the third year running the pairs of shorebirds have bred at Pagham Harbour.

There are ten little tern nest there so far along with 20 common tern nests and, possibly, three sandwich terns.

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Part of the beach at Church Norton Spit has been temporarily fenced off to stop them being disturbed.

Pagham Harbour conservation warden Ivan Leng said: "We are delighted to welcome back the little terns for the third year in a row.

"The public have played their part over the past years by avoiding the fenced-off area and we'd like to thank them for their ongoing support."

The little tern is a protected bird under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Under national and international legislation, their breeding grounds have to be protected.

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The little tern is a migratory bird who comes to Britain after spending the winter in West Africa.

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