Chichester District Council has joined forces with Coastal Partners to protect its nine miles of coastline by sharing coastal and environmental management expertise and resources.
Coastal Partners are a team of engineers, surveyors, project managers, environment and finance experts who deliver a comprehensive coastal management service, which manages the coastal flood and erosion risk across 162km of coastline.
The council will be joining Fareham, Gosport, Portsmouth and Havant councils, who are the founding members of the partnership.
“The delivery of a resilient, professional, and cost-effective flood and erosion management service is becoming increasingly challenging in response to ageing defences, more extreme weather events and future sea level rise and the loss of experienced officers from the sector,” says Cllr Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Chichester Contract Services at Chichester District Council.
“By joining together with the other councils along our coastline we can combine expertise, local knowledge and access the most cost-effective solutions to protect our coastline and improve our local landscape. We can also continue to offer a robust and resilient service by sharing expertise and collaborating with other local authorities.
“One of the significant projects due to be delivered over the next few years will involve the coastal defences in Selsey, and so this is a great time to join the partnership. Projects such as this one will benefit from the involvement of a wide range of experts, enabling us to deliver the very best outcomes for our communities.”
Lyall Cairns, Executive Head for Coastal Partnership, adds: “The team and I are pleased to welcome Chichester District Council to the partnership. We are looking forward to sharing knowledge and expertise to reduce flood and erosion risk to our shared community, while enhancing the environment for future generations to enjoy. We have a shared passion for our coastline and believe working together across five local authorities will deliver a high quality, resilient, and cost-effective service for our residents.”
