Pagham residents still at risk of flood despite shingle on seafront

Ray Radmall, the chairman of Pagham Parish Council, said the deal recently brokered to allow about 10,000 cubic metres of shingle to be used to shore up the eroding seafront was only a temporary measure.

The quantity was only around a third of the amount Arun District Council wanted to take from the Church Norton spit in the harbour.

The larger quantity was reckoned to give protection to homes around Pagham Yacht Club for only three to five years.

"How long will the smaller quantity last?" he asked. "There is no long-term solution for Pagham. That is a real concern.

"I would hate to see the small amount of shingle Arun will have being swept away by the longshore drift of the sea, and possibly end up in Littlehampton and Felpham, never to be replaced."

He urged Arun District Council to continue to press Natural England to lift its severe restrictions on how much shingle can be taken from the heavily-protected Pagham Harbour nature reserve.

The location, towards Selsey, which the national conservation body said had to be used for the shingle from the spit would be more expensive than the preferred location nearer to Pagham. This meant Arun's 450,000 budget would be used more quickly.

He said he was angry Natural England would not allow concrete groynes to be installed along Pagham's shoreline to provide flood protection for longer.

His comments led the Joint Western Arun area committee to agree to express its concerns about the situation to Natural England.

Colin Rogers, Arun's services director, said: "We will talk to Natural England again to try to get them to change their mind about the use of shingle from the offshore spit.

"It will be put on the agenda for a further meeting because it is an important subject."

He said even the use of the limited amount of shingle for the seafront was subject to planning permission bring granted as well as funding approval from the Environment Agency.

It was hoped the work would take place this autumn. If not, it would have to be next spring before little terns returned to the spit to nest.

Pagham Beach resident Mike Thompson said it was unfair he and his neighbours were being denied the level of protection given to Middleton, where rock boulders had been installed along the seafront.

"Natural England won't allow it because they say little terns might nest along the beach.

"But the birds won't nest in front of bungalows which are occupied by people.

"The reason seems spurious to all of us who own properties along the beach," he said.

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