Gosport Flood Defences: Funding for scheme at Forton is approved to protect area from rising sea levels

Gosport Borough Council implied last month that the extra cash needed to deliver the project would be provided by the Environment Agency. In a full council meeting this week, Councillor Julie Westerby announced that the funding had been awarded.

When speaking about the other identified flood defence schemes across the borough, she said: “I’m just hoping that we will get a slice of the money that’s been going to Portsmouth’s sea defences. I think some of it needs to come our way.”

also read: Hundreds of Gosport homes at risk of flooding as cash for defences dries up

Councillor Peter Chegwyn, leader of the council said: “This is very good news for the Forton area.

“It will actually protect 120 residential properties from risk of future flooding.

“It’s very good news that we’ve got the money for this scheme to go ahead – we’re still lobbying the government for the extra money we need for the Alverstoke flood defences.

“We have the seawall at Fort Blockhouse and the Haslar sea wall along Stokes Bay which are major multi-million problems that someone has to address, this council cannot do it on its own.

“As we’re seeing in southern Europe the effects of climate are becoming all the more obvious, higher sea levels are going to affect Gosport there’s no doubt about that. I think the highest place in Gosport is only about 50 ft above sea level so the entire town is at risk of flooding in the years to come.

“We need to get on with the work without delay and to do so we need government backing from the Environment Agency. The trouble is everywhere else in the country is in a similar position.

“I suspect this is an issue that will come back to us as a council time and time again, but ultimately it is authorities with more money than us that are going to have to step up to the mark because we simply cannot do it alone.”