Council backs Pagham flood protection plan

The coast defence strategy says that the section of low-lying frontage from Pagham to Church Norton will be subject to 'adaptive management'.

The aim of that approach is to preserve the social, economic, environmental and amenity value of the community around Pagham Harbour.

The immediate emphasis will be on effectively managing the sensitive coastline up to 2028.

The impact of any active intervention to manage the shingle spits alongside the harbour's national and global importance as a nature reserve will also be taken into account.

The same approach is likely to be applied for the rest of the next century unless research shows that a more definitive approach can be taken to managing the risk of erosion.

Arun District Council's cabinet members backed the strategy at their meeting on Monday. It has been prepared by the Environment Agency in line with the government's flood and coastal defence policy.

James Humphrys, the agency's area manager, said he believed the final version of the strategy benefited the maximum number of residents as well as the environment.

"We must plan now for how we can manage flood and erosion risks along this coastline well into the future.

"Within 100 years, we predict that more than 2,200 houses and businesses in the low-lying areas could flood here each year as sea levels rise.

"At the same time, erosion could cause almost 1,500 properties to be lost to the sea."