The Selsey peninsula is an exposed coastline with a long history of managing coastal erosion and tidal flood risk. Before the construction of the existing sea wall in the 1950s, Selsey had one of the fastest eroding coastlines in England.
Due to the rapid coastal erosion, hard-engineered defences were created to protect Selsey from both tidal flooding and erosion. The existing defences are now reaching the end of their life, and a new solution is needed.
In 2023 Chichester District Council successfully secured £2.9 million of Flood Defence Grant in Aid funding from Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) to progress the Selsey Coastal Scheme and begin reviewing options and designs for new sea defences.
In October 2026, a public exhibition was held on the Selsey Coastal Scheme, highlighting both how things are taking shape and the leading defence options identified by the Coastal Partners. The exhibition can be seen below:
Share your thoughts and concerns for the future defence of the Selsey shoreline by taking part in our online survey. Click on the link below before 31 October to take part:
