Thank you to everyone who has submitted questions. Due to the high level of interest, this month’s newsletter focuses on what residents, businesses and visitors can expect when main construction starts in April 2027. It's a little longer than usual!
The purpose of this newsletter is to share what we know at this stage and explain how construction planning is progressing. As details are confirmed, we will continue to update you.
We hope you find this newsletter helpful and we’d be grateful if you shared it with friends, neighbours, family members and visitors.
We’d also love to continue to hear from you—what information would you like to receive, and how often? If you have any questions or feedback, please email LangstoneCoastalScheme@havant.gov.uk
Since our last newsletter, work has continued to progress ahead of the planned start of main construction in April 2027 with our contractor, Jackson Civil Engineering.
Jackson Civil Engineering
Our contractor, Jackson Civil Engineering, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in delivering coastal projects across the UK and have delivered several coastal and flood projects on behalf of the Environment Agency. Jackson Civil Engineering – Good Works
“We are pleased to be working with Havant Borough Council and Coastal Partners to deliver this important coastal resilience project. We look forward to working closely with the local community throughout construction” Callum Corbin, Project Manager, Jackson.
Now that we have Jackson Civil Engineering on board, they are busy developing detailed construction plans covering topics such as traffic management, working areas, construction sequencing, site logistics and environmental protection measures. These plans form part of the information that must be reviewed and approved before planning conditions can be discharged and works can begin.
We recognise that many of your questions relate to how the works will be managed, particularly in relation to traffic and access arrangements. These plans are currently being developed by the contractor as part of the Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP). Once details are finalised, the plan will be submitted for approval by the Local Planning Authority, in conjunction with the Highways Authority.
Pre construction - what is happening now and what's next?
Before construction of the new coastal defences can begin, we needed to carry out vegetation clearance in selected areas of the scheme footprint to safely relocate any reptiles found before October 2026, when they typically enter hibernation.
These works took place along a section of the Billy Trail and in the fields north of Langstone High Street and were completed this week, with an ecologist present throughout. The ecological surveys undertaken to support the planning application identified the presence of slow worms and common lizards in the construction work areas. This work had to take place to enable construction works to begin in April 2027 and clearance was kept to a minimum.
The remaining vegetation clearance will be undertaken outside of the main bird nesting season so will not begin before November 2026. Further information will be provided closer to the time.
There will be a need to carry out some utility diversion works to allow main construction works to start in April 2027. These details are being finalised with the contractor and the associated utility providers and we will update you in due course.
Night-time works
Works on the A3023 are currently planned for early 2027 and will involve creating a new temporary junction that will allow access to the main compound, which will be located in the fields north of Langstone High Street ahead of the main construction works.
To minimise disruption to road users, these works are expected to be carried out at night. Details of these works are currently being finalised with the Highways Authority and will be shared with the community as soon as they are available.
Main Construction
The scheme was originally expected to take up to two years to construct due to seasonal environmental restrictions associated with overwintering birds.
We are pleased to report that Jackson Civil Engineering is currently finalising the details of their construction programme that would see construction completed in under one year, significantly reducing the overall duration of disruption for residents and road users.
To achieve this, construction activities will take place simultaneously at several locations across the site, on both sides of the A3023. The works are divided into 5 frontages (see frontage map below), with several construction activities taking place across multiple frontages.
When main construction works commence in April 2027, the first activities to be undertaken within Frontages 4 & 5 will include:
- Installation of a silt curtain around the construction area. This is one of several environmental protection measures being implemented as part of the scheme. A silt curtain is a floating barrier that helps prevent sediment disturbed by construction activities from spreading into surrounding waters, helping to protect water quality and marine habitats. The above picture shows the silt curtain used during the construction of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme.
- Construction of a foreshore access track, running from the slipway at The Ship Inn to the slipway north of The Royal Oak. This track will facilitate the delivery of materials to the work front and provide access for construction vehicles.
- Sheet piling works.
Alongside the above activities there will also be sheet piling works commencing in Frontage 2 and Frontage 3.
Further details of the follow on works across the frontages will be made available as the scheme progresses.
Operational hours and tidal working
Construction activities will be carefully managed to minimise disruption while enabling the scheme to be delivered safely and efficiently.
The maximum allowable working hours set out by the Local Planning Authority are:
- Site working hours: Monday to Friday 07:00 to 19:00
- Noisy construction activities: Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00
Some activities will need to take place around tidal conditions to allow construction of the lower sections of the flood defences. Any tidal working will take place within the approved daytime working hours.
No weekend working is currently planned. Should there be a need, we would need to apply to the Local Planning Authority for permission, as well as providing advance notice to the community.
Traffic Management
We recognise that construction traffic is one of the biggest concerns. Our contractor is developing detailed traffic management plans designed to minimise impacts on residents, businesses and visitors in Langstone and across Hayling Island.
The following measures are being incorporated into the construction plans to help minimise impacts on the local community and wider area:
- Deliveries will be carefully managed to avoid unnecessary vehicle movements on local roads.
- Deliveries will all be to the main compound, with subsequent distribution to the relevant work frontage via one of three access points only. Distribution to the work frontages will only be allowed once space is available. Please see Traffic management map below.
- A foreshore access track will be installed to service the works from Frontage 3 all the way round to Frontage 5.
- All contractor vehicles and staff parking will be located within the main construction compound.
- No contractor parking will be permitted on Langstone High Street, or nearby residential roads.
- Access to The Ship Inn pub, The Royal Oak and frontline residential properties will be maintained throughout the works.
- Pedestrian access, including wheelchair access, will be maintained to the frontline properties and the Royal Oak along frontage 5.
- Vehicular access to the properties at the end of Frontage 5 will be maintained throughout the works.
- Emergency service access will be maintained at all times, and we will continue to liaise with the emergency services during construction planning and delivery.
We appreciate the continued support and interest shown by the community as we prepare for construction in April 2027.
More detailed information on construction phasing, traffic management, access arrangements, and noise, dust and vibration controls will be shared as plans are finalised over the coming months. The programme is subject to further refinement over the next few months, and more detailed information will be shared with the community as soon as they are available.
Thank you for reading and we look forward to seeing you at the Roadshow on 30thSeptember.
Please do continue to get in touch at LangstoneCoastalScheme@havant.gov.uk