Hook Lake FAQ

Updated July 2022

Who are Coastal Partners?

We are a team of specialist coastal officers and engineers who manage coastal flood and erosion risk across 246km of coastline on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, Fareham Borough Council, Havant Borough Council and Gosport Borough Council. Our team leads on coastal issues, such as managing flooding and erosion risk, plan design and manage construction of new coastal defence schemes and inspect, manage and maintain existing coastal assets whilst planning for the future.

You may have previously known us as the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership. Find out more about us in our latest Coastal Partners Report 2020. You'll get an insight into the work of our engineers, scientists, surveyors, project managers, environmental and finance experts. We hope this shows you what makes us who we are, what drives us forward and why we’re industry leading.

What is the Hook Lake Coastal Management Study?

The Hook Lake Coastal Management Study is a two-year study focusing on the future management of Hook Lake and opportunities to create new habitat at the site.

We are undertaking the study to better understand the site, explore the potential for creating new intertidal habitats, look at wider recreation opportunities and develop preliminary designs for a scheme. The study will look at how we can maximise the potential benefits for both local people and wildlife to keep Hook Lake a special place.

The study will not recommend any option or scheme that increases the flood risk to houses or other properties.

The Study will not recommend any option or scheme that increases the flood risk to houses or other properties. Properties are located at a higher elevation due to the natural topography of this coastline.

Is the site environmentally designated?

Yes, the study area includes the Hook with Warsash Local Nature Reserve and Hook Lake is also protected by national and international environmental designations as a Ramsar wetland site, Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

What are intertidal habitats and why are they important?

Intertidal habitats occur where the sea meets the land, between the low and high tide lines. They are exposed at low tide and are covered by seawater at high tide. This twice daily variation in moisture, temperature and salinity means that the plants and animals that live here are adapted to harsh extremes. Some species live further up the shore and closer to the high tide line, while others live further down the shore closer to the low tide line.

Intertidal habitats present in the Solent are home to a diverse range of plants and animals. Intertidal areas rich in sediments, like those at Hook Lake, are colonised by plants such as saltmarsh and animals such as worms, clams and crustaceans. The plants and animals living in these intertidal habitats are a vital food source for the internationally important populations of water birds that breed and over-winter here in the Solent.

As well as being important for the many plants and animals that live in intertidal habitats, we also rely on these areas. They provide natural flood protection, improve water quality and are important nursery areas for fish, as well as being open areas important for our enjoyment to support our health and wellbeing. Saltmarshes also capture and store large amounts of carbon helping to mitigate climate change. For example, as new layers of sediment form in saltmarsh, they can store up to 20 times more carbon per hectare than forests on land!

What is coastal squeeze?

Where man-made coastal defence structures, such as sea walls and revetments, have been built to protect communities from coastal flood and erosion risks, intertidal habitat, such as saltmarsh, may be prevented from moving landward as sea levels rise. Habitats are consequently squeezed against these defences, reducing habitat extent and function over time. This is known as ‘coastal squeeze’ and is shown in Figure 1 below.

No sea wall and sea wall, example of habitat squeeze No sea wall and sea wall, example of habitat squeeze

What is the Regional Habitat Compensation Programme (RHCP) and what does it do?

The Regional Habitat Compensation Programme (RHCP) is a strategic programme run by the Environment Agency which seeks to replace habitats that are lost due to coastal squeeze or tidal inundation effects arising from the management of coastal defences.

In the Solent and South Downs area, Coastal Partners coordinates the RHCP with the Environment Agency. The Solent and South Downs RHCP covers the area from Hurst Spit in the west to Beachy Head in the east and includes the north coast of the Isle of Wight. The RHCP reviews, implements and monitors habitat compensation targets arising from the relevant Shoreline Management Plans and meeting those targets is a legal requirement.

Further information is available here.

Why do we need to create more intertidal habitat?

The health of our intertidal habitats is declining. They have been harmed by human activities including climate change, development, construction of hard engineered coastal management structures and poor water quality from agriculture and waste-water treatment works. This deterioration in the health of our intertidal habitats reduces their ability to provide the benefits that we rely on and therefore has knock-on effects for our own health.

The Regional Habitat Compensation Programme (RHCP) is a strategic programme run by the Environment Agency which seeks to replace habitats that are lost due to coastal squeeze or tidal inundation effects that arise from the management of coastal defences. Further information about the RHCP can be found via the Southern Coastal Group and SCOPAC webpages, or by following this link. The creation of new compensatory habitat is a legal requirement and will help to offset the losses from new coastal defence schemes today and in the future. This new habitat must be reinstated in order to enable future coastal defence schemes in our area to progress.

Creating new places for coastal habitats and wildlife to thrive is essential to ensure that they are resilient to the challenges of climate change and will provide a variety of benefits to help restore the health of the Hamble Estuary. It will also ensure that local communities can continue to enjoy our treasured coastlines for many years to come.

What will happen to existing habitats?

Hook Lake hosts a mosaic of important coastal grazing marsh, reedbed and wet woodland habitats. By letting seawater back into Hook Lake, grazing marsh and grassland will be replaced over time by new intertidal habitats that dominated the Hook River prior to the 1800s. There are likely to be some landscape changes during the transition from freshwater to saltwater habitats. The Hook Lake Coastal Management Study will investigate how and where we can recreate these areas of freshwater habitats that will be lost if we create intertidal habitat. Early feasibility work has indicated that there may be space within the study area to allow these freshwater habitats to migrate upstream along the Hook River valley, and to recreate reedbed and wet grassland areas within the site. If it is not possible to offset all the losses of freshwater habitat within the study area, we may also need to work with the Regional Habitat Compensation Programme (RHCP) to find alternative sites elsewhere. The RHCP has already implemented a 90-hectare wetland habitat creation scheme at Manor House Farm in the Lower Test valley, which is being managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Why are you allowing the beach to roll back naturally?

The beach is not actively managed at present and is already very natural. We are studying the coastal processes and will look at how the coastline might change in the long term, but at present we are not suggesting that any active management is required, as the beach does not provide flood protection to any properties.

Will this lead to increased flood risk to properties?

The study will not recommend any option or scheme that increases the flood risk to houses or other properties.

Will the footpath network be impacted?

We are investigating the sustainable management of the existing footpath network, which is already at risk from flooding and erosion. We’re partnering with Hampshire County Council as the Public Rights of Way authority and owner of the site to mitigate any impacts of a scheme and generate wider benefits which maintain or even improve access at this location and make it resilient to future climate change impacts.

Who are Binnies and what is their role?

We have enlisted the professional services of engineering consultancy Binnies (previously known as Black and Veatch) to help us deliver the more technical elements of the study. Binnies have an impressive track record developing designs for similar habitat creation projects around the country including schemes in the Humber and Ribble estuaries.

What is the Environment Agency’s role?

As this project looks to fulfil a legal requirement to create new habitat, the Hook Lake Coastal Management Study is entirely funded by Government through Defra Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Grant in Aid, which is allocated by the Environment Agency. Allocation of further funding will be subject to approval of the associated application and business case requirements.

The Environment Agency are also responsible for inspection and maintenance of some coastal defences located within the study site. The EA’s interests are represented on the Project Steering Group     

What is Hampshire County Council’s role?

Hampshire County Council have landownership and management interests within the study area, and as such are represented on the Project Steering Group

When will construction of the scheme take place?

The Hook Lake Coastal Management Study forms the first step in the design process. Construction is programmed to start in 2025, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals and securing funding.

How is the project funded?

As this project looks to fulfil a legal requirement to create new habitat, the Hook Lake Coastal Management Study is entirely funded by Government through Defra Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Grant in Aid.

The study will look to identify the most cost efficient and effective way of creating new intertidal habitat and will develop a business case to seek further Government funding to deliver the scheme. During the study we will also explore other funding opportunities to help deliver additional wider placemaking benefits alongside habitat creation, relating to recreation, amenity and environmental enhancements.