The next phase of plans to protect North Portsea Island from the risk of coastal flooding are underway following approval of the planning application for the second package of work in the Eastern Road area of North Portsea Island.
The principal design for Phase 4 of the North Portsea Island Coastal Defence Scheme is now complete and will be delivered in two packages of work. The first, at Kendall’s Wharf and known as “4a”, began in November 2019 and includes the construction of an earth embankment, a steel sheet pile wall and raising the road. This work is expected to be completed by Spring 2020.
The planning application for the second work package, at Eastern Road and known as “4b”, from Tudor Sailing Club to Milton Common has now been given planning permission. JT Mackley will construct the new defences which includes a new seawall along 2.4km of the Eastern Road, encasing the existing seawall and raising the defence level by approximately 1.2m. Work is expected to begin on these defences in May 2020 with a view to being completed in 2023.
Communication with the public and key stakeholders will continue throughout the construction of the scheme.
Councillor Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environment and climate change at Portsmouth City Council said "This next phase of the North Portsea Island coastal defences is an important one as Eastern Road is a key path in and out of the city and these plans will protect this section of coastline from the real risk of flooding. Work to the northern part of Phase 4 at Kendall’s Wharf has already begun and I'm excited to see the next stage begin further along Eastern Road”.
The North Portsea Island Scheme, which is being delivered by the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, covers 8.4km of coastline from Tipner through to Milton. Most of the area is low-lying and many of the current coastal defences are approaching the end of their effective lives. The new coastal defences are designed to significantly reduce the risk of coastal flooding over the next 100 years, reducing the risk of flooding from the sea to over 4,200 homes, 500 businesses and critical infrastructure including Eastern Road. On completion, the scheme will offer protection against a 1 in 500 year coastal flood event and will tie in with the defences built at Anchorage Park to the North and Milton Common to the South.
