Pagham to East Head Draft Coastal Defence Strategy Summary Document Strategic Overview of the Coast

Environment Agency in partnership with planning for the future Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy Summary document Strategic Overview of the coast In April 2008, the Environment Agency became responsible for overseeing the management of all coastal flood and erosion risk in England. Under the new arrangements the Environment Agency now: • takes the lead for managing all coastal flooding risk in England; • ensures that proper and sustainable long-term Shoreline Management Plans are in place for our coastline, and approves them on behalf of Defra; • allocates all flood and coastal erosion risk management capital funding. Local authorities will still do much of the operational work on coastal erosion, but under the Environment Agency’s coastal overview. Coastal management strategies including this Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy will continue to be developed in partnership by local authorities and the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency, coastal groups and local authorities are working hard to ensure that we deliver this new way of working in a true partnership approach. Published by: Environment Agency in partnership with Chichester and Arun District Councils Guildbourne House Chatsworth Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 1LD Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations © Environment Agency introduction The Environment Agency and could cause almost 1,500 funding available from central Chichester and Arun District properties to be lost to the sea government to provide Councils have worked in over the next 100 years. defences is limited and there partnership to produce the Subject to funding being is strong competition for these Pagham to East Head draft available, our funds from elsewhere around coastal defence strategy. We recommendations can manage the country. If funding cannot have produced this document the risk of flooding and be found, plans will be needed to summarise our draft erosion to communities and for people to adapt to the strategy findings and the environment over the next changes that will inevitably recommendations. 100 years. occur. Flooding and erosion are real We are recommending that the This is a draft strategy and no risks facing people and their vast majority of properties final decisions have been property on the coastline should be protected to their made yet. Your input is between Pagham and East current standard or better. Our important to ensure that we Head. If there were no sea full draft strategy gives details of can consider your opinions in defences today, more than 300 the risks faced and our producing the final strategy. houses and businesses in low proposed management options. We welcome your comments lying areas could flood each and will make use of any new Our work makes clear that year. With rising sea levels, information when we make our securing funding for building this number could rise to more final decisions in late 2008. and maintaining defences is a than 2,200 in the next 100 You can find out how to send serious and pressing issue for years. If the existing defences us your comments on page 23. this area. The amount of were not maintained, erosion Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy summary 3 What is a coastal defence Why have a coastal defence in future with predicted sea strategy? strategy? level rise; Coastal defence strategies fit Recent flooding at Medmerry into a three-tiered framework and erosion at Selsey West • look at ways of managing of flood and erosion risk Beach have raised public these risks and recommend management as established concern over coastal options for the area; by the Department for protection in this area. There is • plan for the implementation Environment, Food and Rural an understandable desire to of schemes including Affairs (Defra). see immediate action. The securing funding where coastal defence strategy needs • Shoreline Management possible and highlighting to be completed to ensure Plans (SMPs) – set out high the issue where national investment of public funds can level management policies funding is unlikely. be justified and that money is for 100 years across wide spent where it will give the Strategies will be reviewed areas of coastline. most benefit. A strategy for regularly during their lifetime • Coastal defence strategies – 100 years is needed to: to take account of any changes that happen over time. define how to deliver SMP • assess the risk of flooding policy for smaller areas. and erosion to people, land, • Schemes – implement work properties and the on the ground. environment both now and 4 Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy summary Pagham and the Manhood Peninsula The Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy covers the West Sussex coastline between Pagham Beach and West Wittering (see map, Figure 1 on pages 12-13). It covers the main centres of population around Pagham, Selsey and the Witterings. In addition to the approximate 20,000 permanent residents living in the strategy area, many thousands of people visit the area each year, including holidaymakers at local caravan parks. Over the past 150 years man the 1950s, erosion rates were internationally important sites has made various changes to among the fastest in the UK. that have legal protection to this coastline. There have also Significant changes have also make sure they are conserved. been natural changes from been experienced at East Head A section of Selsey’s East flood events and erosion. For at the entrance to Chichester Beach and the beach between example 19th Century historical Harbour. Here the spit has Bracklesham and Medmerry records at Pagham show that changed position in response Cliffs are designated nationally the harbour entrance was to the effect of waves and sea as Sites of Special Scientific closed and the land reclaimed currents and the availability of Interest (SSSI) important for for agriculture. A storm event material moved by the sea and geological interest. The land early in the 20th Century blown by the wind. where the Broad Rife loops changed this by breaking inland at Bracklesham Bay is The area is also home to a defences and re-opening the also designated as a SSSI for number of sites important for harbour to the sea. its plant and bird life and is run nature conservation. Chichester as a nature reserve by the Before the large concrete Harbour and Pagham Harbour RSPB. defences were built at Selsey in are part of a network of Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy summary 5 Who is involved in coastal management? The Environment Agency and could potentially impact on the Government. In 2005 in Arun and Chichester District designated sites in the area. We response to changes to Councils are the operating are also involving English appraisal guidance, a technical authorities managing coastal Heritage, which has report was prepared and flood and erosion risk for this responsibility for protection of identified indicative preferred coastline. We are responsible the historic environment, to options for sub-divisions of the for producing the coastal identify any archaeological coastline, known as frontages. defence strategy in accordance interest in the area. Views from Between November 2006 and with government policy and both of these organisations March 2007 we held an initial appraisal guidance. There is have been taken into account consultation with the local generally no legal duty to build within the draft strategy. community and key groups to and maintain coastal defences. Building on community driven discuss the indicative preferred We have permissive powers efforts to address climate options and raise awareness of that allow us to protect both change adaptation, we have the funding issues. Through people and property where worked to engage local meetings, exhibitions and economically, technically and residents in discussions about workshops we encouraged environmentally viable, and flood and erosion risk, sea level people to share their views where affordable within rise, sustainability and funding with us on these initial national budgets. options. We will continue to findings and any local ideas Government guidance states work with community groups for alternatives, including that the statutory over the coming years to possible funding sources. We environmental bodies must be manage risks during the received almost 2,000 involved in developing the implementation of the strategy. responses, which we have strategy. We are working with used in developing the draft What previous work has Natural England, which is strategy. In the frontage been done? responsible for recreational proposals that follow, we A strategy for Pagham to East issues, landscapes and have summarised the Head was completed in 2001, protection of wildlife, to identify consultation responses for but did not gain approval from how management options each frontage area. 6 Pagham to East Head draft coastal defence strategy summary How will coastal works be paid for? Our draft strategy recommen- large spending increases These funding sources could dations can manage flood and funds still have to be provide a solution in isolation erosion risk in the long term prioritised to get the maximum or more likely if pooled but depend on the availability benefit for the money spent. together, but only if works are of funding to implement them. The method for calculating coordinated in such a way that Our strategy does not propose such benefits for schemes has they do not increase flood and detailed schemes or guarantee changed recently but we do erosion risk to others. Given funding. We recognise that not expect this to greatly alter the urgent and pressing need availability of money is likely the funding situation here. for coastal management works to limit our ability to deliver on the peninsula, we hope this Last summer’s flooding in Hull works, some of which are coastal defence strategy will and Gloucestershire highlights urgently needed.

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