Debate, Strandsonen | Preserve unique coastal nature in the beach zone

Opinions This is a debate post. The post expresses the writer’s views.

Excerpts from letters to politicians and administration in Asker municipality, the State Administrator and others:

Tandberg Eiendom will develop untouched nature in the Marmorveien-Sagene area at Tofte in Asker.

Today, the area is the entrance to a unique connected nature area.

Here, a naturally formed path runs along the shoreline. It continues in through the Sandbukta-Østnestangen nature reserve, passing beautiful beaches and rocky areas, coastal forest and on through older cottages all the way to Rødtangen.

This is one of the few areas along the Oslofjord that is characterized by untouched nature. Therefore, the area has national value.

The area is widely used and well organized for recreation, outdoor life and play for families with children and walkers of all age groups.

Parking on Djervbanen and access via Marmorveien to Tyskerstranda provides good accessibility.

In the current plan, the forest, rocky cliffs and beaches south of the current car park on the Djervbanen are preserved as nature area N1. The parking lot at Djervbanen will be kept as it is today.

This will precisely ensure that the general public has good access to the beach zone, and that the untouched coastal nature is preserved for posterity.

The current zoning plan was adopted in 2016 in Hurum municipality and is called “Marmorveien”. The plan provides for approximately 60 housing units, while the new proposal entails a doubling to approximately 120.

In the proposal, most of the buildings will be located in the 100-metre belt, down to 35 meters from the fjord.

Furthermore, it is proposed to build in close rows with two, three and four storey houses, with a ridge height of up to 13.5 metres.

Major interventions are planned right down to the beach by establishing a planned universally designed “coastal path”, or “road”, on the rocky cliffs at the sea’s edge with various park-like installations such as benches, viewpoints and development of play areas.

The proposal means that the parking lot at Djervbanen will be built on, and it will not be possible to park there for visitors to the nature area.

Tandberg Eiendom has not submitted any input to the area part of the municipal plan, which was adopted as late as June 2023. Since Tandberg has put the regulation of the area into play, we would like to remind Asker municipality of the possibility to re-regulate untouched nature for the benefit of the public and nature.

This is strongly recommended by state authorities.

A development will entail irreversible destruction of the natural area and only serve the interests of the developer and home/cottage buyers.

We want to protect this unique coastal area along the beach zone.

The general public currently has limited access to the beach zone in Asker, only approximately 25 percent of the coastline.

A large part of this coastline is still not accessible to traffic due to steep terrain and motorways along the coast.

Tandberg Eiendom’s plan involves the construction of homes and holiday homes in the beach zone at the expense of untouched nature and public access to the coast.

A development will entail irreversible destruction of the natural area and only serve the interests of the developer and home/cottage buyers.

New knowledge and a new focus show how destructive development and interventions are in areas like this, cf. the action plan for the Oslo Fjord.

State authorities recommend that municipalities review old plans where the purpose is to remove/reduce development plans, preserve nature and natural diversity and ensure public access to unique areas.

We expect Asker municipality to take responsibility for protecting and preserving this unique natural area for the public and future generations.