To check whether your property is at flood risk visit www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk
For practical advice on what you can do to protect yourself and your property before, during and after flooding visit https://coastalpartners.org.uk/protecting-against-flooding
Selsey Peninsula has an exposed coastline with a long history of managing coastal erosion and flood risk from the sea. Substantial areas of land have low ground levels and concrete sea walls help to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion in these areas. Before the construction of the sea wall, Selsey had one of the fastest erosion rates in the country due to its exposure to wave energy and currents.
Coastal defences do not last forever, and the current defences are reaching the end of their lifetime. As sea defences age they become increasingly costly to maintain and these defences were designed 50+ years ago for the conditions at the time. We are experiencing increased storminess and sea level rise and combined, mean the level of protection is also diminishing with time.
Flood maps consider the risk or likelihood of flooding occurring. Factors such as ground levels and proximity to the sea can lead to an increased chance of flooding and this is represented on the maps. In some cases the areas identified may never have experienced flooding before.
Some mapping looks at future risk without defences in place (sometimes referred to as a ‘do nothing scenario’). This helps us understand what is at risk and demonstrate the need for defences.
Understanding what practical measures can be taken to protect yourself can help to manage this risk, follow this link for more information https://coastalpartners.org.uk/protecting-against-flooding.
Flooding caused by overtopping of the coastal defences is the result of high winds, offshore storms and high tides with high energy swell waves and often a combination of the three. It is also possible that a breach in the sea wall adjacent to low-lying land could lead to flooding, although this is considered a very low risk as beach management is in place.
Ensuring you are aware of upcoming flood events can help to manage the risk. Sign up to Environment Agency flood warnings here https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings to receive updates.
The council recognises that the defences are aging and fragile, and there are limited resources to maintain them. Future defence failures should be anticipated. The Pagham to East Head Coastal Flood & Erosion Risk Management Strategy recognises the funding challenges faced at Selsey. It is too early to say what the future of the defences will be with any certainty, but the council is undertaking a feasibility assessment and business case for the Environment Agency to consider. The business case will endeavour to secure funding to undertake option appraisal and outline design. It is hoped that this will lead onto the detailed design and construction of new or enhanced defences which will be subject to further funding. The amount of funding available from central government to provide defences is limited, and there is strong competition for these funds across the country.
Private landowners have ultimate responsibility for protecting their own property from flooding and erosion but must do so under the terms of applicable legislation. If Government funding can be secured and if the works meet the requirements of environmental legislation, the Environment Agency and the District Council have ‘permissive powers’ to undertake works where appropriate. Government funding is based on a cost benefit assessment, with funding for defences limited.
The Selsey frontage is monitored by coastal engineers, and a programme of significant investment in beach management is in place to decrease wave energy and extend the life of the existing defences. This work involves replenishing beach material lost to natural processes and investing in the structures which retain it. Funding for this work is secured for at least the next two years.
The current defences reduce the risk of erosion significantly, but their age means there is an increasing risk of defence failure. This is being managed through risk-based inspections and monitoring of the Selsey coastline. By doing this we ensure that any issues are identified as early as possible.
Additionally, the beach at Selsey is replenished every year through a beach management programme. Beach management is undertaken to decrease wave energy on the beach and extend the life of the existing defences.