10th February 2008

CDC’s Capital Strategy (how it decides to spend its capital reserves) is due to be approved by the Council’s Executive Board on 12th February. The Board’s decision will have to be ratified by the full Council, probably on 4th March.

As it stands, the Capital Strategy states “The Coastal Management Plan has identified the need for investment but any coastal protection scheme will only be undertaken with the joint funding support from the Government and West Sussex County Council” (our emphasis).

We know the County Council pulled out (see more here...) of coast defence funding last October. Even CDC acknowledges that “getting a share of national funds is not guaranteed in the long term and is unlikely in the near future”.

So if this Capital Strategy is approved, it would mean in practice that CDC pulls out of spending capital on coast defences.

We recognise that the Council will never have enough money to do all the things that people want so a fair, transparent system to ration spending is needed. The Council has such a system - a rigorous selection procedure, designed to ensure that only projects which fulfil the Council’s objectives (community wellbeing, economic stability, etc) are funded.

All we are asking is that potential coast defence schemes are given the same opportunity to go through this assessment process as other projects. It is wrong to exclude them – apart from being unfair to the 20,000 people who live on the Manhood Peninsula, some coast defence schemes could make financial sense, and certainly contribute to community wellbeing.

Three of Selsey’s District Councillors (John Connor, Roland O’Brien & Fred Robertson) jointly wrote to the Executive Board on 8th February, asking them to change the wording to:

“The Coastal Management Plan has identified the need for investment, but any coastal protection scheme would have to successfully complete the same selection process as is applied to all new capital projects before being undertaken”.

And in the following paragraph, change the wording from “no provision [for funding] has been made…”, to “no provision has yet been made…”.

SOS is supporting these amendments, and so is Selsey Town Council.

PLEASE ADD YOUR SUPPORT BY EMAILING THE EXECUTIVE BOARD SAYING YOU SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNCIL’S CAPITAL STRATEGY REQUESTED BY COUNCILLORS CONNOR, O’BRIEN & ROBERTSON ON 8TH FEBRUARY

Your email should be addressed to the Chairman of the Executive Board, Councillor Myles Cullen, mcullen@chichester.gov.uk.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.