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Protecting our coast from flooding and coastal erosion
Find out what we are doing to protect our coastline from the elements
How our coast is defended
The coastline between Brighton Marina and the River Adur in Shoreham features one of the country’s most iconic tourist beaches.
Our coastline is currently defended by:
Brighton & Hove’s beaches, which are the primary form of protection from coastal flooding and erosion
chalk cliffs, such as the Undercliff Walk
sea walls
timber groynes
Shingle recycling and renourishment
Wave movement shifts sand and shingle east from Shoreham Port towards Brighton Marina. This is a process known as ‘longshore drift’.
Each year, we move an average of 16,000 tonnes of shingle back from around the Marina to beaches further west and at Shoreham Port.
Challenges facing our coastline
The impact of Climate Change and rising sea levels
Due to a combination of long-term climate change predictions and rises in sea levels, the beaches, together with residential and commercial properties along the coastline, are at risk of flooding and erosion.
What we are doing about it
Brighton & Hove City Council and Adur & Worthing District Councils have created a strategy to manage this risk in order to ensure that the coastline remains a vibrant and vital focus for the area’s economy. The strategy is known as the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme and covers the area highlighted in the map below.
The aim and benefits of the scheme
The aim of the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme is to improve our coastal defences and reduce the risk of long term (1 in 200 year) flood and erosion risk.
The scheme will have significant local benefits including avoidance of the loss or residential and commercial properties, including Shoreham Sewage Pumping Station and Shoreham Power Station.
How the scheme is being funded
The scheme is being paid for from a series of centrally funded packages set out by the Government, to construct new flood and coastal defences.