Protests about abandoning Climping dominate latest coast protection exhibition

The Environment Agency staged its third and final display about its plans for the Pagham to River Arun coastline.

The most controversial among the ideas is to stop maintaining the Climping frontage two years after the strategy is agreed.

This will enable the sea to claim farmland and some private roads and paths.

A handful of properties could also be affected over time.

Those who visited last Friday's exhibition at the Arun Leisure Centre included Littlehampton Civic Society members Diane Bayley and Janet Marshall.

Ms Bayley, of Bayford Road, said: "It's sad to see the loss of any part of the British Isles, particularly when it's grade one farmland.

"The Climping Gap is cherished by local people because it's the only one for several miles which has never been built on."

Mrs Marshall, of New Road, said: "I can understand the economic reasons behind the proposals.

"But it's a great pity that the lack of money has to rule everything."

They were told at the exhibition it would cost 160,000 a year for 100 years to keep the Climping frontage at a level to withstand one-in-200-year floods.

Environment Agency project manager Katherine Matthews said it had no intention of walking away from Climping.

The annual beach replenishment scheme would take place again this November.

Costing 30,000-40,000, it would see thousands of tons of shingle put back on the frontage from the River Arun mouth to where it had drifted on the tide since last year.

"We are still doing our maintenance on Climping defence, which is good news in the short term for the residents," she said.

The rest of the frontage from the Aldwick/Pagham boundary to Elmer will see the flood defences maintained for the next 100 years.

This will see the protection they offer gradually reduce as the sea level rises.

But Mrs Matthews said the extra cost of sustaining the defences, rather than maintaining them, could not be justified under the government-set cost benefit analysis which the agency had to use.

"The strategy will be reviewed every five to ten years," she stated. "So there will be the opportunity to change the status of the defences if it is necessary.

"But the defences in the Bognor area are in a good condition so there will not be an immediate problem."

Legal issues about the proposals which had been raised were being considered along with the 50 formal comments made so far, Mrs Matthews stated.

The consultation period about the proposals has been extended by a month to September 30 because of the level of interest.

They will be analysed after that before an internal board of senior Environment Agency officers decides the final strategy.

This has to be approved by Arun District Council before the agency adopts the strategy. That is expected to be next spring or summer.

What do you think? Send a letter to [email protected] or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click here to add yourself to our readers' map.

n A workshop about the Climping defences is being held by the Environment Agency from 11.30am-2.30pm on September 18 at the Arun Civic Centre at Littlehampton.

It will provide anyone with questions about the agency's strategy the chance to speak to agency officials in detail.

But the questions should be emailed in advance to the agency. Anyone who just turns up might find their question goes unanswered.