Case ref: MLA/2013/00317/1
Licence ref: L/2013/00326/1

Case summary

Main content

Project description

Pagham Beach Coastal Defence Project
Pagham is located in West Sussex on the south coast of England, approximately four miles west of Bognor Regis and six miles south of Chichester. Pagham is situated to the north of the small tidal inlet to Pagham Harbour, the mouth of which lies between the two shingle spits of Church Norton Spit to the south and Pagham Spit to the north.

The village of Pagham lies adjacent to the eastern side of Pagham Harbour with a number of residential developments located on the northern spit (Pagham Beach). Over the years, the Church Norton Spit has migrated towards Pagham at a rapid rate which has altered the tidal flows around the Harbour entrance.

Over the winter period of 2012/2013 four separate storm incidences, resulting in the same wave direction and wave period, severely eroded the Pagham coastline between the end of the Church Norton Spit and the first of four groynes located north of the Harbour entrance. Before the 2012/3013 winter storms there was approximately 25m of beach front separating the properties behind from the sea. Each successive storm reduced this width of the beach front, at one point only 16m of beach was left protecting the properties from flooding and further erosion. Following each storm Arun District Council placed beach material in front of the properties to try to halt the erosion. This material was then removed each time another storm occurred.

Arun District Council commissioned Royal HaskoningDHV in 2013 to undertake an environmental report in support of a Marine Licence application to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for a rock revetment to be placed in front of the affected properties on Pagham Beach prior to winter 2013/2014. The aim of the rock revetment is to protect the properties from flooding and further erosion in the winter of 2013/2014 and onwards.

Other information

Applicant details

Mr   Roger Spencer / 01903 737812 / Roger.Spencer@arun.gov.uk
ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL / ARUN CIVIC CENTRE 1 MALTRAVERS ROAD LITTLEHAMPTON / BN17 5LF
09-AUG-2013
Not validated
10-OCT-2013
29-NOV-2013
Completed