An announcement on the controversial scheme to flood an area of Bradwell will be made "in the next two weeks", Government chiefs have promised.

Project manager Mark Dixon said a decision had already been made on the future of plans to breach the sea wall at Weymarks.

But he declined to comment on whether Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) would press ahead with the publicly unpopular move, saying individual villagers would first be sent letters telling them what decision had been made, before the news was released to the general public.

He said: "We will shortly be issuing letters to everybody, but until they have gone out, we won't be making an announcement. "

The Government must create a new wetland on the east coast by order of the European Court to replace two lost to development in Kent and Suffolk.

Before the recent consultation carried out by Defra in Bradwell, Weymarks was the favourite to house it.

But project bosses have been looking at other sites and in light of stiff opposition to the scheme demonstrated at two public meetings in the village, they may have been persuaded to change their minds.

Published Wednesday, June 18, 2003

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