Department of Planning & Transportation

Portchester Castle to Emsworth Draft Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy

This is a draft strategy (1,191KB) and no final decisions have been made. We want to hear from you to help us to identify anything we may have missed in the preparation of this draft strategy. Please share with us your views of our recommended management options and any concerns you may have regarding strategy funding and implementation by 13 April 2009.

Coast Protection and Defence Responsibilities

Mouchel Parkman has been commissioned by a partnership with Southampton City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council to develop a ‘Coastal Defence Strategy’ for the sustainable management of coastal defences. The study (this is an external hyperlink) frontage includes the east bank of the River Itchen as far upstream as Woodmill, the Weston, Netley and Hamble Le Rice frontage, and both banks of the River Hamble as far upstream as the Bursledon railway bridge.

The Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk (this is an external hyperlink) is the Government department with overall policy responsibility for flood defence and coast protection in England. One of the department's principal aims, by assisting in and encouraging the building of defences, is to prevent flooding and coastal erosion.

Overview

The Fareham coastline has a diverse range of landscapes and seascapes, containing estuaries, saltmarshes, soft cliffs and shingle beaches. It is defended along much of its length, reflecting the substantial urban population living within the coastal zone, together with a number of commercial and other properties.

The historical trend in coastal defence has been for the progressive construction of walls, groynes and other 'hard' structures to prevent erosion and flooding. These have caused considerable modification to natural coastal processes. The most significant trend affecting future shoreline management is sea level rise. It is estimated that sea level is rising by approximately 5-6mm/year. One of the greatest effects of this rise on defended coasts will be a loss on intertidal habitats as they are squeezed against coastal defences.

The area is internationally important for nature conservation, has been recognised through a series of national, European and international designations and contains many significant habitats and animal and plant species. Human activity can have significant impacts on the ecology and in recent years there has been an increased acknowledgement of the long term problems created by uncoordinated coastal defence policies.

To help redress these problems SCOPAC (Standing Conference On Problems Associated with the Coastline) was established in 1986 to provide a forum for co-ordinating coastal defence policy and to promote sustainable shoreline management.

In 1993 The Strategy for Flood and Coastal Defence in England and Wales produced by MAFF (now DEFRA) set out guidelines for coastal authorities whereby future coast defence works should comply with the local Shoreline Management Plan. Fareham is covered by the East Solent Shoreline Management Plan (1997) and the Western Solent and Southampton Water Shoreline Management Plan (1998).

Portchester Castle to Hoeford Lake Shoreline Defence Strategy

Fareham Borough Council has powers as a Coast Protection Authority to manage the coast and operates under advice from the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This advice requires the preparation of ‘strategic plans’ that look at the need to provide coast protection in a strategic manner and identify where public investment is justified. These strategies are a long term plan (100 years) for coastal management, including all necessary work to meet defined coast protection objectives for the study area.

This strategy has been produced to provide a framework for policy decision making and action related to both the provision and management of sustainable coast protection policies. It comprises a 10km stretch of shoreline from Hospital Lane in the east (just west of Portchester Castle) to the Fareham Borough/Gosport Borough Council boundary line in the tidal creek of Hoeford Lake in the west.

Front cover (100 Kb)
Project Appraisal Report (399 Kb)
Appendix A – figures (9 Kb)

Figure 1 (3,082 Kb)
Figure 2 (2,524 Kb)
Figure 3 (2,429 Kb)
Figure 4 (3,076 Kb)
Figure 5 (2,433 Kb)
Figure 6 (2,435 Kb)
Figure 7 (2,436 Kb)
Figure 8 (2,422 Kb)
Figure 9 (7,739 Kb)
Figure 10 (6,016 Kb)
Figure 11 (6,265 Kb)
Figure 12 (5,078 Kb)

Appendix B – Walkover Survey (30 Kb)
Appendix C – Consultation (2,056 Kb)
Appendix D – Cost Summary (39 Kb)
Appendix E – Benefits of Options (41 Kb)
Appendix F – Risk Assessment (30 Kb)
Back Cover (93 Kb)

Responsibilities

Land owners are always responsible for protecting their own property from erosion and flooding, but they must act within the applicable statutory planning and other legislation.

Fareham Borough Council and the Environment Agency have permissive power responsibilities for sea defence and coast protection under the following acts:

Coast Protection Act 1949
Land Drainage Act 1991
Water Resources Act 1991

In general, Fareham Borough Council and the Environment Agency will only act where there is an economic benefit, an appropriate engineering solution is achievable and environmental legislation is not contravened.

Sea Defence is the alleviation of flooding of low-lying land caused by tidal flooding, for which the Environment Agency has powers under the Land Drainage Act 1991, the Water Resources Act 1991 and Byelaws.

Consent of the Environment Agency would be required for any of these activities:

Any works in, on, under or over Main River* or within the byelaw width of 8m.
Any works within 15m of a sea defence.
Any works to fill, divert, obstruct or culvert an ordinary watercourse.

*Main river would include Portsmouth Harbour, Rivers Hamble, Meon, Wallington and others.

Coast Protection is the protection of land from erosion or encroachment by the sea for which Fareham Borough Council has powers under the Coast Protection Act 1949. Consent of the DEFRA Marine Consents and Environmental Unit (MCEU) would be required for any of these activities:

The construction, alteration or improvement of any works on, under or over any part of the seashore lying below MHWS.
The depositing of any object or any materials on any such part of the seashore.
The removal of any object or any materials from any part of the seashore lying below the level of MLWS.
If the operation whether while being carried out or subsequently causes or is likely to result in obstruction or danger to navigation.

In addition to the above consents Local Authority Planning Permission will be required for any development, to low water mark, as defined within section 55 of Town and Country Planning Act 1990 including change of use, engineering operations, building works etc...

Other Marine Consents that may need to be considered when undertaking activities in the Coastal Zone (below MHWS):

FEPA Licence (MCEU) - deposition and disposal of substances at sea and placement of piles or materials during construction.
Harbour Authority Consent (Harbour Authority) - consent required where activity takes place within a harbour or the method involves work within the harbour limits.
Waste Management Licence ( Environment Agency)
Discharge Consent (Environment Agency)
Listed Building Consent and Conservation Area Consent (Local Planning Authority)
Building Regulations Authority (Local Planning Authority)

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