Littlehampton banking on new funds to brighten up flood scheme

SPENDING cuts are threatening to take the shine off Littlehampton’s £12m flood defence plans.

Attractive features such as landscaping and benches which were part of the original proposals by the Environment Agency earlier this year have been dropped in anticipation of next month’s tough government spending review.

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Now the agency has turned to Arun District Council in a bid to find the £2m shortfall to retain the enhancements, especially in the Pier Road and Arun Parade areas which are highly popular with tourists.

Arun cabinet members agreed on Monday (September 20) to allocate £12,000 which will be spent on investigating other sources of funding such as business and private donations, or grants, to bridge the gap.

The issue was also discussed at a meeting of the council’s Littlehampton regeneration committee on Thursday, when Beach ward councillor Dr James Walsh said the flood defence scheme would mean the completion of the enhancement of the town’s East Bank area.

“What has happened with the East Bank scheme, with the housing and riverside walkway, has been a stunning enhancement. Arun Parade was completed years ago, but the missing link has been Pier Road.

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“The river side of Pier Road is tatty, shabby and long overdue for improvement. It’s a happy coincidence that the flood defence work needs to be done because of the poor existing defences and the end of the life of the revetment at water level.

“It will really enhance the experience for local residents. It will really enhance the experience for visitors and increasingly put Littlehampton on the daytrip and weekend tourism map for visitors.”

The additional enhancements, he added, would be the “icing on the cake” for the basic flood defence designs.

Ham ward councillor Mike Northeast agreed. “We have to enhance it. We have to make sure that the basic design is as technically imaginative as possible, and not just a grey wall.”

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Arun economic and cultural development manager Clare Potter told the committee that possible funding sources already considered included the EU, special initiatives within the UK, using Arun’s own reserves to underwrite money that could be recouped later, and commercial sponsorship.

The council’s own staff were unable to take on the extra work necessary to seek funding elsewhere, so the £12,000 would be spent on bringing outside help with the expertise and experience required.

Concerns have been voiced about the impact the wall would have on Pier Road cafés and restaurants whose views of the river would be affected by the new defences, but councillors stressed the potential benefits of the new, raised walkway on top of the structure, including tables and chairs for open-air dining.