Save
our Selsey
Campaign for Coastal Defence
Press Release 13 March 2009
Save Our Selsey’s second AGM on March 11th provided an excellent opportunity to update supporters. A slide presentation highlighted the year’s accomplishments and reminded supporters of the challenges ahead.
The principal achievement had been the successful campaign to change the Coast Defence Strategy. Instead of allowing Selsey Bill to erode away, and letting sea level rises overwhelm Selsey’s coastal defences, the revised Strategy now said that the entire town should be defended, and these defences should be raised in line with rising sea levels.
The greatest challenge would be to find the money to implement this policy: £30m was needed in the next 20 years. To achieve this, all local stakeholders would have to work together in a concerted and co-ordinated effort to source the funding.
One of several exciting developments this year was the link SOS had established with NVCC (National Voice of Coastal Communities) and Coastnet (a Westminster-based coastal group). This had enabled SOS to network with other coastal campaigns, to pool experiences and research and participate in the development of a UK-wide campaign for coherent and just national policies towards coastal communities.