Coastal erosion is a huge problem right across the east coast of England. I recently paid a very important visit (with my Labradors Baxter and Pebble!) to the Naze Preservation Society to find out what can be done to try and combat this problem. I am afraid that what I found is yet another example of bureaucracy getting in the way of our everyday lives.

The historic, 18th century Naze Tower is visited by over 200,000 tourists per year, making it a vital part of our local economy. Local habitats that support birdlife and coastal vegetation also face disruption as the sandstone cliffs are eroding at an alarming rate. If better sea defences are not built all of this will simply disappear, and with it many houses, 200 jobs and even the marina that holds 800 yachts.

David Eagle, acting Chairman of the Naze Preservation Society has had a mixed experience in dealing with the Marine Management Organisation, a Blair-era quango who are heavily involved in marine licensing and planning. He told me that the processes were often “inefficient, ineffective and expensive”. The coastline is moving fast, it’s unsustainable and we cannot afford to have this very long permissions process that we currently do now. I have pledged to work with the society in my role as your MP in order to make progress on some of the works, such as sea defences, that urgently need to commence in order to protect this vital piece of coastline.