Section of promenade is fenced off at Stokes Bay after storm causes damage

A section of the seawall at Stokes Bay, in Gosport, has been affected by Storm Katie with a wide hole appearing beneath the concrete.

It comes just days after similar holes appeared in the seawall at Seafield which cost around £8,000 to fix.

That damage was also caused by the Easter weekend storm and other bad weather at the turn of the new year.

Two fences have been up at either end of the promenade, off Stokes Bay Road, with signs from the council saying it is closed.

Gosport Borough Council leader Mark Hook said: ‘The promenade has been damaged by the recent Storm Katie and part of the sea wall has been crumbling away.

‘We need to look at how we can prevent this sort of thing happening again and the coastal team has been looking at plans. It is an area that has been damaged before so we need to put in some significant changes to how we have dealt with it in the past.’

Damage to the seawall at Seafield was repaired within a few days by the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership.

The ESCP is an organisation working with Gosport council as well as Portsmouth City Council and Fareham and Havant borough councils.

It designs and implements coastal defences stretching from Hill Head to Hayling Island.

Cllr Hook added: ‘Working with the ESCP, we need to look at plans to move shingle underneath the promenade on a regular basis.

‘The problem we have at the moment is the shingle is being washed away and the underneath is being eroded by the waves.’

Dog walkers are optimistic that the promenade will be open soon.

Jan Long, 67, said: ‘The council fixed the Seafield seawall really quickly so hopefully it can do the same again.

‘Luckily it is only a small section of the promenade although the hole is quite long.

‘Hopefully it won’t get worse between now and the council sorting it.’

Long-term plans to protect the seawall from erosion in Gosport are expected to start next year.

The £1.3m will also look at reducing flooding risks.