By Richard SmithCARAVAN owners have been warned their view of the sea at Felixstowe could be spoilt by new safety fencing.A town councillor claimed looking out of their windows could become as bad as staring out of a prison cell when the fence is put up.

By Richard Smith

CARAVAN owners have been warned their view of the sea at Felixstowe could be spoilt by new safety fencing.

A town councillor claimed looking out of their windows could become as bad as staring out of a prison cell when the fence is put up.

The Environment Agency is proposing to install wire mesh fencing at Manor Wall, Manor Terrace and Felixstowe Ferry to stop people falling into the sea.

But Felixstowe Town Council is concerned about the impact of the unsightly fencing, especially at Manor Terrace where caravans face the sea.

Andy Smith, plans committee chairman, told the town council: "Being in one of the caravans near the Manor Club will be slightly less pleasant than being in Highpoint jail."

The town council has written to the Environment Agency to object and in its letter the council said it "bitterly regretted the apparent necessity to install this unsightly and visitor hostile fencing".

Manor Wall is about 300 metres long and it links the end of the promenade with Landguard's sea defences.

The agency said a health and safety risk assessment had highlighted the need for safety improvements along sea walls where the vertical drop was more than two metres and the drop was currently unguarded.

It added the metal fencing would match fencing on other parts of the seafront. "The intention is to protect the public, particularly children, against these vertical drops, where there is the greatest use of a seawall," said the agency.

It is also preparing to strengthen the sea wall, replace timber planks missing from groynes and increase the height of groynes. The agency said that work was not expected to have a significant effect on the environment.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk