Coastal protection

Fareham Borough Council works in partnership with Coastal Partners to manage coastlines, improve community resilience and enhance the natural environment. Founded in 2012, the highly skilled team of coastal engineers and officers at Coastal Partners lead on coastal issues, such as:

• Managing flooding and erosion risk
• Plan design and manage construction of new coastal defence schemes
• Inspect, manage and maintain existing coastal assets whilst planning for the future

It has evolved its expertise to support and enhance: community resilience, habitat and environmental issues, research, ecology, data analysis, geomatics, environmental protection and funding skills, in addition to its core coastal engineering services.

Costal Partners can also offer advice on issues such as project strategy, planning, design, monitoring, implementation and maintenance and stretches beyond coastlines to on land, highways and flood risk areas.

Find out more about Coastal Partners and the work it is doing in Fareham .

Hook Lake Coastal Management Study

Coastal Partners as part of Fareham Borough Council has secured £556,000 from Defra Grant in Aid to commence a two-year study focusing on the future management of Hook Lake (part of the Hook with Warsash Nature Reserve) and opportunities to create new habitat at the site.

The Solent coastline is facing significant pressure from rising sea levels, more frequent and bigger storms, and increased flood and erosion risk. As a result, important coastal habitats such as saltmarshes are slowly being lost as they are squeezed against existing sea defences.

Hook Lake has been chosen as a potential area to create new coastal habitat to offset these losses in the Hamble Estuary and the wider Solent. The creation of new compensatory habitat is a legal requirement and will help to offset habitat losses today and in the future from new defence schemes. This new habitat must be reinstated in order to enable future coastal defence schemes in our area to progress.

The Hook Lake Coastal Management Study will look to maximise the potential benefits for both local people and wildlife to ensure that Hook Lake remains a special place. The study will explore the potential for creating new habitats, look at wider recreation opportunities and develop preliminary designs for a scheme. 

To stay up to date on the project, please visit the project webpages , where you can also sign up to receive updates to your inbox via the new 'Fareham Coastal Projects e-Newsletter'.

Beach management

Fareham Borough Council does not own the beaches and slipways but holds a lease from the Crown Estate. We have permissive powers under the Coast Protection Act 1949 for coast protection - the protection of land from erosion or encroachment by the sea. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for coastal protection within the Borough. A joint coastal defence strategy  has been produced by Southampton City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council.

Water quality

Each week the Environment Agency takes samples of the local sea water. After testing, the water quality results are sent to Fareham Borough Council and displayed in designated notice boards at Salterns beach and Monks Hill beach. A rating of 'poor, good or excellent' is given. The water around the Fareham foreshore has always complied with the standards of the Bathing Water Directive.

Restrictions and Prohibited Activities:

Byelaws

There are specific byelaws that relate to the seashore, details of which can be found in the Seashore Byelaws (806 KB) document.

Metal Detecting

Anybody wishing to carry out metal detecting on our foreshore on land owned by the Crown Estate should refer to their website  for information.

Bait Digging and Hand Gathering

Anyone undertaking hand worked activities needs to ensure that they are aware of all relevant legislation.

In 2001, a Special Nature Conservation Order (SNCO) was placed on the northern part of Fareham Creek by Natural England to protect the sensitive intertidal habitats from the impacts of commercial bait digging. Bait digging for recreational use is still permitted; however, commercial activity within the SNCO area is prohibited.

Because levels of activity can vary and circumstances are not always clear on site, any concerns about bait digging should be reported so they can be assessed appropriately. Natural England will review such reports collaboratively with the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (Southern IFCA). 

Southern IFCA have management in place for Handgathering Activities across the intertidal areas in Hampshire, and further guidance can be found in their published hand-gathering guidance - Shore Gathering : Southern IFCA 

If you witness bait digging or other fishing activity that raises concerns, please report it to both organisations using the contact details below, providing as much of the following information as possible:

Details of the person(s) undertaking the activity

• What activity is taking place
• Where the activity is occurring
• When it is happening
• The number of people involved
• How the activity is being carried out
• Any known purpose or reason for the activity

Contact Details

Natural England

Email: protectedsites@naturalengland.org.uk
Phone: 0300 060 3900 (phonelines are open 10:00 – 15:00 Monday to Friday)

Southern IFCA

Online reporting form – Contact Us : Southern IFCA 
Email: enquiries@southern-ifca.gov.uk
Phone: 01202 721373

Dogs

National law states that dogs should be kept under control at all times, and any dog waste should be deposited in the many dog bins provided. More details are available on the Public Space Protection Order for Dog Control page.