Press Release - 11th February 2008

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION SHOWS VALUE OF PROTECTING OUR COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Andrew Tyrie MP posed a parliamentary question to DEFRA. The answer revealed that the cost of doing nothing about coast defence on the Pagham to East Head frontage would be £334m. But unless reasonable rules for analysing the costs and benefits of coast defence emerge, will the Government change what it proposes to do?

The overall figures haven’t been revealed previously and we thank Mr Tyrie for getting them.

They make interesting reading. The cost of doing nothing about coast defence over the next 100 years, across the Chichester District, would be £334m in today’s money. This shows just how vital coast defence is to the economic security of everyone in the District, not just the people on the coast, harbours and low-lying areas.

The initial estimate by the authorities showed their “preferred” measures would protect £190m worth of assets. The new data suggests this would leave £144m worth of assets unprotected - unless the authorities review their analysis of the costs and benefits of making coast defences.

It is this cost: benefit analysis (CBA) that is the real problem. Firstly, in deciding which bits of coastline “should” be protected and secondly, in deciding whether there will be any government funding to do it.

We must make sure that the CBA is more realistic (taking into account property blight, economic deprivation, etc), and that the method of allocating funding to coast defence takes account of economic and social realities. At present you are more likely to get government funding for making new salt marshes, than protecting existing towns like Selsey.

11/02/08, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE