Update on Cley Marshes

The work to retrieve the wreckage from the helicopter crash site has now been completed and all being well, the USAF and RAF will demobilise from the site by the end of Saturday 18 January.NWT has been working with the military HazMat team and the Environment Agency over the past two weeks to ensure the pollution associated with the crash has been dealt with as effectively as possible. The crash site has been fenced off to allow for the necessary ongoing monitoring which will last up to a further two years.

The visitor centre will be open to visitors on Sunday 19 January at 10am, although the reserve itself still only has limited access (only one hide accessible) due to the storm surge damage. We have been unable to work on storm surge repairs while the military have been present on the site but we have been working closely with the Environment Agency and Natural England to find a solution to the technically complex breaches which are still allowing sea water on to the fresh water marshes during high tides. We will be prioritising infrastructure repairs to the wider reserve and starting work as soon as we possibly can.

Access along the Cley Beach road will re-open again from Sunday also. The East Bank still remains hazardous due to debris from the recent floods so it is likely that it will remain closed for the time being.