Press Release - 23rd December 2007

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY IS FAILING TO PROTECT HOMES

Throughout 2007 SOS has been demanding that the Environment Agency take effective action to protect homes and properties at Medmerry Beach, Selsey, against increasing erosion by the sea. Despite many warnings, the Agency has allowed the sea defences here to fail. On 21st December the Agency wrote to SOS¹, admitting that the beach levels had dropped, the sea defences were unstable, and that 3 houses were now in danger of collapse. How will Christmas be for these families?

Medmerry beach acts as a coast defence between Selsey and Bracklesham, West Sussex. For most of its length it protects the land behind from flooding. In two places, though, the land is well above sea level and the beach prevents erosion of the soft clay soil.

Some 3 years ago the Agency altered its maintenance regime for the beach. Instead of repairing groynes, it pulled them out, and stopped importing new shingle. It claims the new policy is effective, but has not provided clear evidence of this, or why the policy was changed. SOS suspects the motives for the change were cost-saving, and an agenda to create wetland habitat (as evidenced by a report written by the Agency in conjunction with Natural England)².

In fact, the beach has lowered, narrowed, and (where the land behind is low-lying) it has rolled landwards. The Agency’s response to this has been to say the exact line of the beach “doesn’t matter too much”, despite its policy being “hold the line”. Whilst the Agency vacillates, those who can afford it are building their own defences (a £10m coast defence is being built by Bunn Leisure, owner of Europe’s largest caravan park, which is located behind part of the beach).

In early 2007, the Agency pulled out yet more groynes, because – left unrepaired – they had deteriorated . Then, in May, it started pulling out lateral timber breastworks on the beach near the houses at Medmerry. SOS demanded a halt to this action – these defences consolidate the beach. Under threat of legal action, the Agency relented, but claimed the breastworks did not help maintain the beach. It has now had to admit that the beach level dropped here, but claims this is by 1m, and only in the last month. Photographic evidence proves the beach here has dropped by over 1.5m, mainly since the Agency removed the groynes and breastwork.

On December 9th a storm – predicted by forecasters - undermined the sea wall, and the houses were left in danger of collapsing into the sea. The Agency – responsible for this frontage, whose policy is “hold the line”, and whose inadequate beach management exposed the wall – did not inspect the damage until the 17th December. Rather than protect the wall (which would have been easy to arrange, given Bunn Leisure’s ongoing works, a few metres away), it simply advised the householders to “consider whether it is safe…to remain in [your] property, especially during stormy conditions”.

These residents face a stark future - there is no compensation for losing their homes in this way. Would you be looking forward to Christmas if you lived in one of these houses, knowing a very high tide (5.3.m) is due at 11:47 on 25th December?

It should be noted the owners tried to protect their own homes some time ago, by putting a concrete facing on the steel shutter wall. However, they were denied the right to put in proper foundations, because it would have “damaged” the underlying clay, which is a protected feature of the SSSI here. Their concrete had to stop at beach level, and as the beach subsequently lowered under the Environment Agency’s management, their concrete facing was left unsupported and ineffective. It, too, collapsed on 9th December.

¹ Letter from Andrew Gilham, EA Area Flood Risk Manager, Solent & South Downs Area.

² Solent Coastal Habitat Action Management Plan, Natural England, Environment Agency 2003