Broadmarsh Coastal Scheme

The Scale of the National Issue

Across the UK, approximately 1,200 landfills are at risk from coastal flooding and erosion. Controlled tipping of waste at the coast was seen as a win/win scenario due to the perceived low value of the natural environment at the time, and land could be reclaimed for an alternative use. 

This challenge is particularly significant in Central Southern England due to its dense population and industrial past. Salt marshes were once widespread in this area but historically these habitats were undervalued and were often used as land reclamation sites through the process of depositing industrial and household waste. Across the Coastal Partners area (covering Fareham, Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, and Chichester), there are 46 historic coastal landfills, one of these being a Broadmarsh Coastal Park.

Local Issue: Broadmarsh Coastal Park

Broadmarsh Coastal Park sits on a historic coastal landfill site. Originally an intertidal mudflat crossed by Storehouse Lake, the area was reclaimed for landfill in the 1960s, enclosed by a chalk bund. The bund is currently protected by a sloping defence, which as now reached the end of its serviceable life. 

Havant Borough Council owns and manages the site, including the historic landfill. While repairs to the defence have been carried out over the years to prevent a breach and protect the landfill, ongoing maintenance is becoming increasingly unsustainable and economically unviable.

Coastal Strategy and Funding 

Protecting communities from coastal erosion and flooding is a key aspiration within Havant Borough Council’s Corporate Strategy. This commitment is being realised through various initiatives, including the Broadmarsh Coastal Defence Project.  

Havant Borough Council adopted the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan and the Portchester to Emsworth Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy, which set the policy and management approach for the local coastline. The agreed policy for this stretch of coast is to ‘hold the line’, with the strategy recommending that the current level of protection is sustained over the next 100 years.

However, presently, there is no appropriate funding mechanism to deliver the ‘hold the line’ policy put in place to avoid future pollution. The current Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant in Aid funding (FCRM GiA) is determined largely by the number of properties protected. Since Broadmarsh Coastal Park, like many landfill sites, is undeveloped, it does not qualify for this funding. Additionally, there is currently no dedicated central government funding to manage historic coastal landfill sites. Consequently, Havant Borough Council has taken on the responsibility of progressing this vital project.

Progress to date

Building on the recommendations from policy and strategy, Coastal Partners conducted an option appraisal and outline design for the project in 2019, funded by the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and Havant Borough Council (HBC), totalling £103,500. This study identified a rock revetment as the preferred solution to replace the existing coastal defence.

With no central government or external funding available, HBC was confirmed as the primary beneficiary and funding source for the project. To advance the scheme, £1.26 million has been allocated through HBC’s Capital Funding Programme over three years to deliver the next stage.

The project has now entered the detailed design stage, led by Coastal Partners’ in-house design team. With the aim to design new cost efficient, low maintenance defence to protect the historic coastal landfill from eroding into the harbour. Once the design is complete, the team will look to secure the necessary licences and consents for construction.

Next Steps

With funding secured for this stage, the project is now progressing through the detailed design, which will include:

• Ground Investigations
• Structural surveys
• Topographic survey
• Engagement with stakeholders, including the public. 
• Coastal defence design
• Environmental assessment scoping 

Coastal Partners remain committed to exploring funding opportunities and lobby Defra on this national issue through the Local Government Association Special Interest Group (LGA SIG) to advocate for national funding to support the construction stage.