Work begins on improving coastal defences

Major coastal defence works are under way in East Sussex to shield thousands of homes and businesses from flooding.

Delivery has begun of several lorry loads of timber in Pevensey which will help bolster breakwaters and better protect shoreline properties from rising seas and stronger storms.

Around 12,000 cubic metres of shingle - equivalent in volume to more than 100 double decker buses - will also be transported to the beach at Pevensey Bay throughout this year for the same reason.

It is the interim phase of a long-term coastal flood risk project described by the Environment Agency (EA) as "one of the most important in the country".

A multi-million pound scheme, it aims to cover nine miles (15km) of coastline between Cooden Beach and Holywell, an area which includes chalk cliffs, shingle beaches, promenades, heritage sites and a large marina.

The EA said that the project's subsequent medium-term phase will then run from 2027 to 2037 and "bring together the Eastbourne and Pevensey Bay frontages under a single programme, including upgrades to existing groynes".

A more far-reaching strategy will then take effect from 2037 to "address projected sea level rises of over a metre by the end of the century, with the potential to safeguard up to 18,000 properties over the next 100 years".

The initiative is being delivered by the EA in partnership with Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council, Rother District Council and Wealden District Council.

Nick Gray, a programme sponsor for major EA projects in the Solent and South Downs area, said the current spring defence works represented "a significant milestone in our long-term commitment to protecting communities along the Sussex coast".

The EA added that, while Pevensey Bay Beach will remain open to the public throughout the works, "visitors should follow safety guidance around working machinery".

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