Confidence that Stokes Bay replacement seawall work will start in April despite not having a contractor

Gosport Borough’s communities and environment board was given the update on the Alverstoke, Seafield and Stokes Bay flood defence schemes. Steve Fitzmaurice and Andy Pearce, representing Coastal Partners, told the meeting on Wednesday (February 28) that while a contractor, West Sussex-based JT Mackley and Co Ltd, has been appointed to start work on flood defence structures at Forton, other schemes in the area are further away from starting.

The Stokes Bay Road seawall replacement scheme was scheduled to start in April, having secured £759,317 as the last bit of funding for its £1.2million cost. But the meeting heard the council is still waiting for a marine licence to allow work in and around the sea, as well as final costs for the work from contractors through a tender process. Councillor Margaret Morgan (Con, Grange and Alver Valley) said: “The licence was submitted in April last year, that’s a long time, something has to be done.”

Councillor Philpott (Con, Peel Common) was concerned the grant would be lost if the project – to fix the 135-metre stretch of seawall and promenade which was badly damaged by Storm Eunice in February 2022 – didn’t start this year. Councillor Zoe Huggins (Con, Alverstoke) was also concerned about two car parks along Stokes Bay that are out of use.

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The council previously said it was confident work would start in May and be finished in September, protecting the area ahead of next winter. Steve Fitzmaurice of Coastal Partners said there was a budget shortfall on the other projects. The Alverstoke sea defences, in the pipeline since 2015, would see the flood risk reduced for 142 homes and businesses. Seafield was also highlighted as one of the three priority areas for a flood defence scheme with 80 homes and businesses at risk.

Seafield has an £800,000 funding gap and council leader Councillor Peter Chegwyn (Lib Dem, Forton) said he wanted the government to provide extra money. Coastal Partners (formerly Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership) was formed in 2012 to deliver a combined, efficient and comprehensive coastal management service across the coastlines of the local authorities in Havant, Portsmouth, Gosport, Chichester and Fareham.