The Naze is a unique headland that extends northwards from the seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze. Derived from the old English word ‘naes’ meaning promontory or, quite literally, nose, the Naze is the most easterly peninsula in Essex. The Naze's extensive tidal creeks, islands, and salt marshes form part of the 2000 acre Hamford Water National Nature, a wetland of international importance for migratory birds. This evocative landscape was the inspiration for Arthur Ransome's 'Secret Water’, part of the Swallows and Amazons series. The Naze cliffs are a designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Just a short stroll along the beach offers glimpses into its rich natural history, with sharks’ teeth, shells, and fossils scattered along the shore. The cliffs offer a fascinating strata, including London Clay formed about 50 million years ago in a subtropical sea and sands called the Red Crag from about 3 million years ago. The Naze is also home to a diverse collection of wildlife. It is home to migratory and nesting birds such as the Dark Bellied Brent Goose, Sedge Warbler, and Whitethroat. There is also a large colony of seals. They can be seen sunbathing on mudflats in the backwaters or bobbing about in the waves. Beyond its environmental significance, the Naze is vital to the local community and visitors. It attracts 200,000 visitors each year. The Hamford Water area also provides local employment with a marine industry supporting 200 jobs for Walton, light industrial sites, and farmland contributing to the local economy. Coastal landscapes like the Naze are increasingly recognised for their intangible cultural value, providing communities with wellbeing and mental health benefits. The iconic Naze Tower, a Grade 2* listed navigation mark built in 1720, is a beloved landmark offering museum exhibits, an art gallery, a cafe, and educational visits about the history, geology, and erosion of the Naze. Coast Under Threat Unfortunately, this invaluable environment is under significant threat from coastal erosion. For many years, the rate of erosion was measured at 1.5 metres per year. Yet, in the last ten years, this has accelerated to between 3-5 metres in some areas. Extreme winter weather and tidal events, often compounded by surge events, drive much of this erosion. Heavy rain saturates the cliffs, causing increased slumping, while high tides with greater wave energy claw away soft cliff sediments. Beach sands are also constantly moving along the exposed shoreline. The soft sediment layers in the cliffs become waterlogged and wash out in the winter, leading to collapse that is then swept away by the sea. Even without sea effects, the cliffs are inherently unstable due to soil behaviour and stress changes. The policy on open coasts allows erosion, and government funding for sea defence typically focuses on protecting property, which the Naze, as an open coast area, does not normally qualify for. At this accelerated rate, the north end of the Naze could be lost to the sea within ten years. This would mean the sea breaching into Hamford Water, permanently changing tidal flow and impacting the fragile salt marshes, wildlife, and all who enjoy and visit this environment. The accelerated erosion is already impacting areas near existing structures. Naze Protection Society In response to these threats, the Naze Protection Society (NPS) was established in April 1997 as a registered charity. The NPS is community-focused, representing local residents and visitors. Their task is to promote the issues, work to define solutions, attract community commitment, and guide the delivery of securing the future of the Naze. They believe proactive intervention is required. The society works through partnerships, bringing together experience, resources, and determination. From 1997 to 2010, they promoted the Crag Walk project, which was built between 2010 and 2011. This rock revetment was designed to secure the Naze Tower cliff frontage. The NPS raised £250,000 from the local community and visitors as the catalyst for the £1.2 million project, which also involved Tendring District Council (TDC), Frinton and Walton Town Council, and Essex Wildlife Trust. The NPS is now setting a new fundraising target of £25,000 a year to deliver soft-engineered structures and build resilience into the whole of the north beach area. They aim to reduce the erosion rate back to 1m/year average and provide resilience against climate change impacts between 2025-2050. Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project To update the community on their efforts and plans, the NPS is holding the Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project event. This community event, aligned with World Environment Day, will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 , from 10am to 3pm at The Columbine Centre in Walton-on-the-Naze. The event aims to set out the NPS approach to the Cliffline Project, focusing on an affordable plan to slow erosion. It involves valuing everything the Naze and Hamford Water contribute to the community, wildlife, economy, and peace, and developing a plan using science, local expertise, and passion to adapt to the challenges of climate change. To find out more, see the full agenda and reserve a space, visit the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-the-naze-the-cliffline-project-tickets-1267463420209?aff=oddtdtcreator How You Can Help the Naze The Naze Protection Society relies on community support to carry out its work. You can help protect this unique environment for local people and visitors for future generations to enjoy. Join: Become a member today for only £10 per year: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/become-a-member/ Volunteer: Contribute your time and skills to help preserve the Naze: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/get-involved/ Donate: Make a one-off donation to support the work of the Naze Protection Society. Your donation helps raise funds to promote and develop solutions to save this environment of unique historical and environmental importance: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/donate/ Follow: Join them on social media to keep up to date with their work. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To find out more about joining, volunteering, or donating, please visit the Naze Protection Society website: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/ If you have any other questions, please use the form below.

Pioneering Technologies for the Future of Urban Transformation Smart cities might sound like a utopian vision from the 1950s; something that sounds already out-of-date and perhaps even naive in our current geopolitical climate. But as urban spaces gradually implement a a series of technological leaps, the smart city emerges as a potential reality, offering a new way to unite communications with infrastructure via real-time feedback. Smart cities could dramatically enhance our quality of life, efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Given that cities are significant contributors to global emissions — responsible for approximately 70% of greenhouse gases — they will play a critical role in reaching net zero. Reflecting insights from the last Smart City Expo in Barcelona (November 2024) and a range of ambitious projects across the UK, this article delves into the strategic alignment of technology, infrastructure, and sustainability shaping today's urban landscapes. What Defines a Smart City? A smart city is fundamentally ‘a municipality that uses information and communication technology to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve the quality of government services and citizen welfare.’ While definitions vary, the overarching mission is to optimise city functions, drive economic growth, and enhance the quality of life through technology and data analysis. Smart city initiatives typically require three critical components: Networks of sensors and citizen participation to collect data Connectivity linking these networks to government systems Open data sharing to make results, changes, and improvements accessible to the public Developing this underlying infrastructure is complex and expensive. Crucially, it depends on strong relationships between government, the private sector, and citizens, as most of the work to create and maintain these data-driven environments happens through collaboration and public-private partnerships.

Edge computing, 5G, IoT and AI are contributing to a paradigm shift in retail that will imagine new possibilities made commercially viable by real-time data processing. In this article, we look at the convergence of these technologies and how they will offer a radical new vision of our high street by offering customers exciting new experiences that can rejuvenate in-store shopping and retail spaces. First, in Part 1, we look briefly at each technology and discuss the technical advantages they offer and how this supports new types of customer experience. Then in Part 2 we look at industry predictions about how the retail space might evolve over the next decade. Part I Edge Computing Edge computing involves processing data near its source rather than in a centralised location. In retail, this means deploying IT infrastructure in or near store venues where consumers interact with products. This ecosystem enables real-time decision-making and personalised customer experiences by analysing data from sensors and IoT devices within the store. Edge computing is a concept that applies to an integrated network of processing units, data centres and sensors that handle data close to the user. Micro Data Centres The compute part of edge computing needs to be housed in proper data centre facilities, to ensure that the expensive server equipment, especially those used by AI systems, are kept in the optimum conditions — this helps keep maintenance and operational costs down. Even though edge compute systems can be relatively compact, retailers will mostly be unwilling to give up valuable floor space for the IT equipment and its associated infrastructure (like cooling and electrical systems), so the more likely scenario is that smaller data centres will be used that can be located close by but in back-of-house areas, such as loading bays, car parks, warehouse areas and so on. These will often be operated as cloud services so that multiple retailers can benefit from edge compute without having to bear the upfront capital cost, and, most importantly, the ongoing maintenance required to keep them operational. 5G 5G networks offer high-speed connectivity and low latency, which are crucial for supporting advanced retail technologies like augmented reality (AR) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The increased bandwidth allows for seamless integration of online and offline shopping experiences, enabling features like virtual try-ons and real-time product comparisons. This connectivity supports personalised marketing strategies that take place in real time and deliver targeted promotions in store. Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected devices, machines, and sensors that collect, store, and transfer data over the internet. These devices are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to communicate with each other and with other internet-enabled systems. IoT plays a crucial role in enhancing the retail experience by providing real-time data on customer behaviours, security risks, buying preferences, inventory supply levels and daily operations. IoT devices will principally include cameras but also a range of other sensors such as RFID tags and smart shelves.