Newgale Shingle Bank Survey Data
Dear Cardiff University,
I am writing to formally request access to historical scientific field survey data concerning the shingle bank at Newgale. This data, collected annually by Cardiff University students, is intended to monitor changes in the shingle bank profile, particularly in relation to factors such as coastal erosion and extreme weather events.
I am willing to cover any associated fees or make a donation to the university in exchange for this information, should it be necessary.
Thank you for your attention to this request.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Harris
Dear Michael Harris
I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 7 March 2025.
Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI25-111 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 7 April 2025.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.
Finally, should you require the disclosure in an alternative format, e.g. screen reader accessible, large print etc, please let us know as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Ebost : [email address]
Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhwy oedi.
University Secretary's Office
Cardiff University
Email: [email address]
The University welcomes correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.
Dear Michael
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 7^th
March 2025.
For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.
I am writing to formally request access to historical scientific field
survey data concerning the shingle bank at Newgale. This data, collected
annually by Cardiff University students, is intended to monitor changes in
the shingle bank profile, particularly in relation to factors such as
coastal erosion and extreme weather events.
We have made enquiries with the University’s School of Earth and Ocean
Sciences and can advise the University does not hold the information you
have requested.
The last time that the University undertook this work with our students
was 2017. The staff that undertook this work with them have left the
University.
The work involved gathering levelling information to determine the heights
of the shingle bank across the beach, measuring the distance over
elevation. Sediment size records were made each levelling point for the
range of sediment sizes. The work was all done in student groups who would
have collected data during the day in their field notebooks or on
worksheets. These would have been marked and then returned to the
students. The School does not have these notebooks / worksheets. Data
would have been combined by the group to then make a presentation. If
worksheets were kept for the appropriate period by our staff, they would
have been disposed of under our information retention policies, 1 year and
1 day from the end of the academic year that the work would have been
undertaken. As such we do not hold the data for this or other sites along
the coast.
I trust this information satisfies your enquiry. Should you feel
dissatisfied with this response or the way in which your request was
handled you can request an Internal Review. This should be made in writing
within 40 working days of the date of this email. Please provide your
unique reference number of your request, information on why you are
dissatisfied and any detail you would like us to consider as part of the
Internal Review process. Email your request to [1][email address] where
it will be forwarded to the University’s Data Protection Officer who will
be responsible for overseeing the review.
If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for consideration. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance, please feel free to
contact me.
Kind regards,
Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s Office
Prifysgol Caerdydd Cardiff University
Ebost : [2][email address] Email: [3][email address]
Mae'r Brifysgol yn croesawu The University welcomes correspondence
gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu'n in Welsh or English. Corresponding in
Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg Welsh will not lead to any delay.
yn creu unrhwy oedi.
Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson
Swyddog Cydymffurfiaeth
Compliance Officer
Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd y Brifysgol University Secretary’s
Office
Prifysgol Caerdydd
Cardiff University
42 Park Place
42 Park Place
Caerdydd
Cardiff
CF10 3BB
CF210 3BB
Ffôn: 029 208 79633 Phone: 029 208 79633
E-bost: [4][email address] E-mail: [5][email address]
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r We welcome correspondence in
Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu Welsh or English. Corresponding
yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi. in Welsh will not lead to any
delay.
Ysgrifennwch ataf yn Gymraeg neu’n
Saesneg Please write to me in Welsh or
English
References
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1. mailto:[email%20address]
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. mailto:[email%20address]
4. mailto:[email%20address]
5. mailto:[email%20address]
Dear Mr Johnson,
Thank you for your response to my Freedom of Information request dated 7th March 2025. I appreciate the time taken to address my inquiry. However, I must respectfully challenge the information provided in your response.
I can confirm with certainty that Cardiff University students, under the guidance of Dr Shasta Marrero, have been conducting scientific surveys of the Newgale shingle bank on an annual, and sometimes bi-annual, basis. This information contradicts your statement that the University has not undertaken this work since 2017.
To support my assertion:
Dr Shasta Marrero personally confirmed to me on 24th April 2022 that the University had been conducting annual surveys for approximately 10 years to monitor changes in the shingle bank profile, particularly in relation to coastal erosion and extreme weather events.
I can attest that Cardiff University students have surveyed the shingle bank every year since 2022. In fact, they utilised the toilet facilities at my business premises as recently as last year.
The Cardiff University website currently lists Dr Shasta Marrero as a Lecturer in Environmental and Physical Geography at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Given this information, I kindly request that you review your records and reconsider your response to my original inquiry. The data collected by Dr Marrero and her students is of significant importance to our local community and the proposed Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project.
I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and a revised response that accurately reflects the ongoing research activities at Newgale.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Harris
m. 07725 982550
[email address]
Dear Mike Harris,
I acknowledge receipt of your request for an internal review received by
this office on 18^th March.
Your request has been referred to the Head of Compliance and Risk, who
will aim to respond within 20 working days starting the day after receipt.
Therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 15^th April
2025.
In some circumstances we may not be able to meet this deadline and if this
is likely to be the case we will contact you as soon as possible and give
you a revised date for response.
┌───────────────┬─┬──────────────┐
│Gwasanaeth Cais│ │Information │
│am Wybodaeth │ │Request │
│ │ │Service, │
│Cydymffurfiaeth│ │Compliance & │
│a Risg │ │Risk, │
│ │ │ │
│Swyddfa │ │University │
│Ysgrifennydd y │ │Secretary’s │
│Brifysgol │ │Office │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Prifysgol │ │Cardiff │
│Caerdydd │ │University │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│ │ │ │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Ebost: │ │Email: │
│[1][email │ │[2][email │
│address] │ │address] │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│Rydym yn │ │We welcome │
│croesawu │ │correspondence│
│gohebiaeth │ │in Welsh or │
│trwy’r Gymraeg │ │English │
│neu’r Saesneg │ │ │
└───────────────┴─┴──────────────┘
Dear Michael Harris,
Please find attached a response to your request for an internal review of
your Freedom of Information request.
Kind regards,
┌───────────────┬─┬──────────────┐
│Gwasanaeth Cais│ │Information │
│am Wybodaeth │ │Request │
│ │ │Service, │
│Cydymffurfiaeth│ │Compliance & │
│a Risg │ │Risk, │
│ │ │ │
│Swyddfa │ │University │
│Ysgrifennydd y │ │Secretary’s │
│Brifysgol │ │Office │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Prifysgol │ │Cardiff │
│Caerdydd │ │University │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│ │ │ │
├───────────────┼─┼──────────────┤
│Ebost: │ │Email: │
│[1][email │ │[2][email │
│address] │ │address] │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│Rydym yn │ │We welcome │
│croesawu │ │correspondence│
│gohebiaeth │ │in Welsh or │
│trwy’r Gymraeg │ │English │
│neu’r Saesneg │ │ │
└───────────────┴─┴──────────────┘
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