Shoeburyness Explosions

As regular readers will know, for all Lee-Over-Sands's idyllic atomosphere, its nature reserve on Colne Point and highest UK sunshine figures, it has something that spoils the perfection.

The Shoeburyness Explosions. 

Lee-Over-Sands is approx 10-12 miles from the QinetiQ MOD site - yet we feel the affects here like a minor earthquake. Residents further up the coast in Jaywick also suffer from it - vibrations are worse sometimes mainly due to atmospheric conditions.

So its now 2013 and still the explosions go on, shaking my home like an earthquake - When I bought my home nothing appeared in the "local searches" to indicate the problem - I only discovered it after moving in.

Every year I wonder if it will ever end.

Does complaining help? No.

Its pretty insulting when you receive letters implying you its "in your imagination" and it can't possibly happen as the noise levels are within tolerable limits. The noise isn't the issue, its the airborne shockwave that causes the problem, it rushes across the sea, across the seawall and makes my roof and entire house shake with the disturbance to the air (pressure differential).

I've tried writing to the local paper, the Clacton & Frinton Gazette, also my MP Douglas Carswell, QinetiQ themselves. Phoned the "complaints line" continually, and given up dozens of times because nothing is ever done to stop it - citing historical reasons ("its always gone on").

Our local MP even raised it in parliament - after enquiries from locals but was ignored as its "more important" to keep it going because it helps "our boys in Afghanistan" what a load of nonsense propaganda.

QinetiQ are a privately owned government contracted company that "disposes" of munitions and have their own deadlines - why would a company which is more bothered about commercial profit and whose sole purpose is to process munitions (blow them up) actually care about the peace and quiet of thousands of local people along the Kent & Essex coast?

With regard to the "possibility" of property damage caused by the explosions - The ministry of defence say its impossible - well you sit quietly in my home office when the explosions happen - you see what its like.

For me working from home, the biggest issue is not damage caused by the vibrations, its the loss of my "peace", absolutely nothing prepares you for it, no amount of email alerts stating "Explosions may be noticed" on a weekly email are helpful to calm my nerves on days when its bad. It makes you jump and is quite stressful to deal with - randomly having to face an unscheduled earthquake dozens of times a day on certain days.

There is nothing online about any organisations who are against it all - so I've set up a Facebook group to try and raise awareness and help to organise some kind of coordinated activism.

Click here and join / "like" the page if you are on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/317646781663742/