Pagham to East Head coastal defence strategy
Updated 24 June 2014
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The Pagham to East Head coastal defence strategy looks at ways to manage the risk of flooding and erosion to 5,300 properties on the West Sussex coastline, between Pagham Beach and West Wittering, over the next 100 years.
The strategy covers the main population centres around Pagham, Selsey and the Witterings. There are 20,000 permanent residents, and thousands of people visit the area each year, many staying in local caravan parks.
The Environment Agency, Chichester District Council and Arun District Council worked together to produce the strategy. All three organisations approved the final version in 2008 and 2009. The Environment Agency has now begun to implement the recommended options.
Recommended options
Pagham: adaptive management
Urgent work to manage erosion at Pagham Beach to be carried out. Produce an adaptive management plan. Set up a management group to implement plan subject to funding availability.
Selsey: hold the line - sustain
Emergency works on East Beach and West Beach to be carried out. Seek funding for permanent schemes and build them when possible. Rebuild as needed to counter sea-level rise.
Medmerry: managed realignment
Develop and implement managed realignment scheme with new defences set back from the sea.
East Wittering and Bracklesham: hold the line - sustain
Seek funding for scheme to renew groynes and breastwork structures. Implement scheme when funding allows.
Cakeham: hold the line - sustain
Maintain existing groynes and breastworks. Subject to available funding, renew groynes and breastwork structures in approximately 20 years’ time and import beach material if needed.
West Wittering and East Head: adaptive management
Work with management group to implement initial adaptive management proposals for East Head. Develop and implement full adaptive management plan for East Head. Subject to funding availability, complete works to reduce flood risk at West Wittering village. Maintain defences and raise as needed.
Community engagement
Local communities have been involved with the strategy since 2007. The recommended options were produced with the help of feedback received from consultees.
Funding
Carrying out work to implement the recommended options depends on funding. National funding is limited, and it is likely that substantial contributions from other sources will be needed.
The Environment Agency, Chichester District Council and Arun District Council will continue to work with local people to explore alternative funding sources, and carry out the work when money is available.
If funding can’t be found, they will work with communities to plan how to adapt to the coastal changes that will inevitably occur.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
The Environment Agency carried out a strategic environmental assessment as part of their work in developing the Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy.
In July 2011, the Environment Agency published a post-adoption statement, which formally completes the assessment as the final part of the strategy.
Contact
If you would like more information, or would like to receive copies of any of the reports, statements and assessments, please email: SSDEnquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.