Havant Borough Council cannot replace or repair damaged sea walls - here's why

Since the collapse of three Victorian sea walls in March last year, the council has been working with interested parties to determine the future of the defences.

Now the council says it cannot replace or repair the seawalls.

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A council spokesperson said: ‘The owner of the seawall is unknown, and whilst HBC has permissive powers to undertake coastal protection works, these would only be exercised if there were a risk to life and property. This is not the case for this section of the seawall.

‘Due to the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation of the area, there is also a risk that any proposed works would not receive the agreement from the environmental regulator.

‘HBC is working closely with Hampshire County Council, Chichester Harbour Conservancy (CHC) and regulators to determine the most appropriate course of action for this challenging area.

‘The option of a footpath realignment has the benefit of maintaining public access and being less damaging to the SSSI. Regular meetings are taking place to explore all options.’

Margaret Tait, who launched a campaign to save the sea walls and eroding public footpath, outlined her main concerns.

‘There’s a clay dam that’s worked all this time,’ she said.

‘But if the seawater erodes under the path it will break the dam then the silted water in the pond will be released onto the seashore.

‘The quality of the, you can only call it mud, will be so poor that it would not support the salt marsh.

‘The other side of Hayling bridge is an area called Southmoor and that was breached by the sea four years ago. Nothing was done while they argued and fought amongst themselves.

‘It swept away two footpaths completely and the aerial view is nothing less than shocking – it’s 29 acres of brown sludge, it is not salt marsh.’

Local resident Dominic Joyeux, a supporter of Margaret’s campaign added: ‘A proper ecological survey hasn’t been done of the Langstone Mill Pond and no projections at the loss of biodiversity when the pond is overwhelmed by polluted seawater.

That represents, on behalf of the councils, Coastal Partners and CHC, mindless ecological vandalism.’