Is Sandbanks Sinking?
If you visit Sandbanks, listen closely. Mingled with the sound of waves gently lapping at the shore, you can hear a whispered war of words. The people whispering are doing so because they are afraid of causing panic among Britain’s wealthy jet set. They are whispering that Sandbanks is sinking.
But despite the speculation, millionaires continue to flock here, making it the fourth most expensive place to live in the world.
The narrow sand spit, which marks the entrance to Poole Harbour, is only a third of a mile long but it is home to the famous, well-heeled and downright filthy rich.
It is ironic then, you may think, that experts claim this select seaside resort could be washed away any moment.
Dr Edward Coombe is a coastal geomorphologist and a former lecturer at Oxford University.
"Once you urbanise the coastline you’ve got real problems," he explained, "and that’s what’s happened – you've urbanised Sandbanks – as if the sea didn’t matter, as if the sea was just something beautiful to look at."
"It doesn't matter if I'm wrong, but if they're wrong we've got real problems."
Dr Coombe, whose PhD focussed on the Dorset Coast, has come under attack for his views.
"It doesn’t matter if I’m wrong," he said, "but if they’re wrong we've got real problems. Of course, people don’t like unpleasant news but that doesn’t mean you shoot the messenger."
In March last year, strong winds and a high tide left Sandbanks temporarily cut off from the mainland.
Despite it being a rare occurrence, Dr Coombe says it will only take one freak event to render parts of Sandbanks uninhabitable.
But despite the concerns, development continues and the millionaires keep arriving.
One man who has staked his entire career on the success of Sandbanks is Adrian Dunford. He runs Tailor Made estate agency on Shore Road, along with his mother, brother and son.
Houses on Sandbanks could become 'uninhabitable'. Photo: Roz Tappenden
"Erosion isn't that big an issue for us here in Sandbanks," he said casually, "mainly because we’re in Poole Bay, which is protected by Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Wight. We don’t have 40ft waves coming in from the Atlantic Ocean."
Having lived in Poole all his life, Mr Dunford has seen the changes at Sandbanks with his own eyes.
"The beach is certainly five or six feet higher than it was, say, 25 or 30 years ago," he said.
"Any sand dredged from the main channel within the harbour is pushed back onto the beaches. The only problem is as the beach levels come up, anybody with a ground floor apartment may run the risk of losing their view."
"We don't want to make too much noise about it... we don't want to be alarmist."
So what do local councillors think of all this?
Carole Deas represents Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks ward at Poole Borough Council.
She said: "I'm not an expert but I was at a planning summer school three years ago and I was told they expected it to be eroded in 25 years time.
"Obviously, I'm very concerned but we don't want to make too much noise about it because we don’t want to be alarmist."
