Concrete conundrum continues

Arguments have raged for nearly two years over what to do about the hundreds of blocks buried under the green.

They were Second World War defences originally and put underground when the war ended.

Last year, Lancing Parish Council revealed they were starting to break up and become exposed, causing a hazard.

Councillors wanted to close the green and remove the blocks. But Brighton Road residents were opposed to the green being shut and formed the Beach Action Group to oppose it.

In April, 2005, the council agreed to suspend plans to remove the blocks and form a working party to look into the problem again.

It commissioned a geophysical survey of Beach Green by Stratascan, famously known for its work on Channel 4's Time Team television programme.

The survey was carried out to determine the nature and extent of the problem posed by the anti-tank obstacles being laid in the ground at the end of the war.

In February this year, a mechanical digger was used to dig out two of the blocks to expose them. The first one was broken up in the ground to see what it was made of and tests revealed it was pure concrete, while the other block was lifted out and stood in the car park by the green for the public to inspect it.

Samples of soil at different levels were also taken to see if the subsoil had been contaminated.

Lancing Parish Council has now formally adopted the final report on the geophysical survey carried out by Stratascan and it has also received responses from several companies to an advert asking them to come up with solutions on how to deal with the blocks.

Parish clerk Richard Wickens said the next stage of the process was to produce a tender document for the interested companies to work to along with the Stratascan document.

"This course of action confirms the council's continued commitment to identify and re-visit all the options available to it and to determine an eventual option that is the most appropriate and cost-effective to the council taxpayers of Lancing, whatever that option may be."

The geophysical survey is available for inspection at the Lancing Parish Council offices in South Street, by appointment. (Office hours are Mondays to Fridays '“ 9am to 4.30pm).