Rebuilding the defences at Eastbourne

Never-ending struggle to keep the sea at bay

The Argus 12-05-1999

A £30 MILLION scheme to protect the future of one of Sussex's most famous sections of coastline will be declared complete today by Environment Minister Elliot Morley, left. Here Mr Morley, writing exclusively for the Argus, gives his views on the four-year battle against the sea at Eastbourne and about the Government's commitment to the future of sea defences throughout Sussex. All along this stretch of coast there are projects at various stages of planning, design, building and completion. For example, the major sea defence work in the current year is that continuing on the scheme at Shoreham and Lancing, involving the building of rock groynes and beach nourishment in the Kings Walk area.
When a large chunk of Beachy Head fell from the cliffs earlier this year it was a very graphic reminder of the destructive power of the sea. Not that local residents need reminding. The importance of defences against flooding and coastal erosion have always been to the fore in Sussex. Last year it was Selsey's turn to feel the weight of the waves, with substantial damage to its shingle beaches. In 1994, a swollen River Lavant caused major flooding in Chichester. For those with longer memories, the winter storms of 1989/90 exacted huge damage to defences at Eastbourne, and elsewhere in the South East - which leads me to the reason for my visit today to the region and this article.
The damage at Eastbourne over recent years, particularly in that winter, was so severe that the shingle was washed away, causing gradual collapse of the groynes and exposing the foundations of the sea wall to the elements. Now, ten years after, I am delighted to be able officially to open the most expensive piece of coast protection work ever financed by the Ministry. It was approved in August 1995 and includes 6,000 metres of frontage between Holywell and the Sovereign Harbour at Langney Point, protecting 4,000 residential and commercial properties. And, of course, more vitally, the lives of the people in the area. Grants of £21 million have been made to Eastbourne Borough Council towards a total cost of more than £30 million, every penny well worth spending to protect such a nationally important piece of coastline and part of the country's tourist heritage.I am told the beach has never looked better. But in the world of flood and coastal protection, the job is never finished.
Next year, at Pevensey Bay, should see the start of a pilot project to bring in private sector innovation to coastal defence work. A contract, potentially saving the taxpayer millions of pounds, is being negotiated with a private consortium and will hopefully be signed this summer. And also in 2000, work is expected to start at Chichester, with a view to significantly reducing the risk from flooding. Proposed works developed by the Environment Agency are currently being reviewed by MAFF. Following that, attention will switch back to Selsey, where the Environment Agency and the district council are going through the first phase of consultations on their coastal defence strategy from Pagham to East Head. We expect a final strategy to be published in the autumn.
In Arun, ongoing work on the coast at Felpham, costing more than £3 million, involves groyne rebuilding, beach nourishment, rock armour and wall construction. But despite the money being spent - and this Government has committed an extra £23 million over the next three years, taking the total spend to £230 million -it is not possible to defend every inch of England by encasing it in concrete. As well as being impossible financially it would be bad news environmentally. And we must accept that material eroded in one area can supply material for naturally-created defences in other parts of the coastline. Where and how to apply the funds available is a matter to which the Government has applied a lot of thought. Basically, it allocates grants by assessing projects on a point scoring formula which takes account of the Ministerial priority for protecting lives, urgency and economic benefits. The environment, too, gets a priority score and this Government has pledged itself to protecting vital coastal habitats against the incursions of the sea.
Even where the defences are essentially hard, such as at Eastbourne, I was pleased to see that, at the western end of the seafront, the defences took account of the conservation value of the rare marine 'life in the rock pools, which have a national environmental designation. At the end of the day, we can't defend every blade of grass and can only reduce and not eliminate risks. But the South Coast, with the varied attractions of its towns and scenery, will always be among the most important parts of the Ministry' s flood and coastal protections programme.
The following fact-sheet outlines the proposed scheme for the renewal of the groyne field at Eastbourne.

View from the pier towards the west with Beachy Head in the background.
View from the pier eastwards showing that the groyne compartments are filled to saturation with with shingle .
View from the pier eastwards showing the beach in more detail