Multi-million funding bid for new Selsey coastal defences
Chichester District Council will be bidding for funding for a multi-million pound scheme to help protect homes and businesses in Selsey from flooding and coastal erosion.
At their meeting on Tuesday, January23,fullcouncilapproved a business case that will be submitted to the Environment Agency.ifthecouncilissuccessfulinits bid,thefundingwillbeusedtodevelopoptionsandoutlinedesigns for a sea defence scheme that would reduce the risk of coastal flooding and erosion to Selsey.
Chichester District’s coastal engineering service, known as Coastal Partners, has carried out early feasibility work that highlighted more than 700 properties are at tidal flood risk. This number is predicted to increase over the next 100 years, along with the numberofpropertiesatriskfrom erosion.thecurrentdefencesare now nearing the end of their life and although a lot of work has been carried out over the years to help prolong them, a long-term solution is now a priority.
“We are seeing more extreme weather events, which could impact on the town’s sea defences and increase the risk of flooding, which is why it is so important that we are all able to plan and prepare,” said Councillor Jonathanbrown,“althoughit’snotone of the council’s statutory duties, managingfuturecoastalflooding anderosionisakeypriorityforus andwehavepermissivepowersto undertake such works.
“The coastal defences for Selsey involve a number of elements, including seawalls, rock revetments, groynes, and beach. Over the last decade the council has undertaken a very successful programme of beach management through shingle replenishment, and Environment Agency funding is currently in place to continue these works until March 2026. Following Full Council’s agreement, we can now press ahead with producing a robust business case for the Environment Agency. There will be a significant funding gap, so we’ll be working hard in order to close this,includingcontactingtheenvironment Agency to highlight fundingissues.we’llalsobeworking with other partners and the community on funding options for a long-term solution. I have to stress that there is no guarantee thatwewillbesuccessfulwiththe bidforfunding,butitisimportant thatwearelookingaheadandconsideringalltheissues.wewantto maximise our chances of being able to prepare as well as possible for the next steps in protecting Selsey as these defences come to the end of their life.”
Lyall Cairns, Executive for Coastal Partners, the council’s shared coastal engineering service says: “The Selsey Peninsula isanexposedcoastlinewithalong history of coastal flood and erosion risk. Before the construction of the existing seawalls in the 1950s Selsey had one of the fastest-erodingcoastlinesinengland. Hard-engineered defences were built to reduce the risk to Selsey from both tidal flooding and erosion.asthesedefencesarereachingtheendoftheirserviceablelife, repairandmaintenanceisbecoming more frequent and costly. We have carried out work to produce a feasibility assessment looking at Selsey’s coastal defences, and we look forward to working with Chichesterdistrictcouncilonthe nextstepssothatwecanhelpprotecttheaffectedcommunitiesand businesses.”