Chilling Foreshore

The Chilling coastline (Fareham) is located within North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (NSSMP) unit 5B03 (Meon Road, Titchfield Haven to Hook Park). These sandy, gravel cliffs are largely undefended, and therefore undergo natural coastal erosion, creating sediment to feed the adjacent beaches along this frontage. The frontage includes some private defences in the form of gabion baskets and a slipway, they are owned and maintained by various landowners, including Solent Breezes Holiday Park, individual chalet owners and the National Grid. These are not the responsibility of Fareham Borough Council. 

The area is prone to periodic cliff falls, and the public should keep away from the cliff edge and cliff toe. The sea defences here are vulnerable to damage, requiring significant work by the respective private landowners to make these areas stable and safe. If no action is undertaken by the landowner, then erosion will continue leaving the chalets at risk of collapse, as well as causing significant health and safety hazards to those walking above and below the cliff edge. The private landowners are also encouraged to seek professional guidance on short-term and long-term coastal management adaption options for their land. 

In the event of sea defence failure, landowners are advised to:

• Close off the failed sea defences to the public, residents and holiday makers.
• Consider urgent works to make safe existing / intact defences, remove all failed sections and address immediate erosion risk.
• Clear the foreshore of unsafe debris immediately and make safe for public, residents and holiday makers.
• Seek guidance on coastal management options.

Click here to view the Chilling foreshore briefing note May 2022

A Coastal Change Management Area (CCMA) has been designated on this frontage as part of Fareham Borough Council’s Local Plan, extending from Hook Park to Meon Shore. 

CCMAs are defined as areas which are likely to be affected by coastal change, such as physical change to the shoreline through erosion, coastal landslip, permanent inundation or coastal accretion. 

Any planning application for proposed development within a CCMA also needs to be accompanied by a Coastal Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA), demonstrating that the proposed development will be safe over the course of its lifetime and will not adversely impact upon coastal processes.

There is a need for landowners to consider more appropriate longer-term solutions to adapt to the frequently changing coastline in this environment, to manage the impacts of climate change in a sustainable way and minimise negative consequences.

3.1 Channel Coastal Observatory

The Channel Coastal Observatory (CCO) coordinate the Southeast Regional Monitoring Programme on behalf of the Southern Coastal Group, funded by Defra and in partnership with Local Authorities and the Environment Agency (EA). 

The programme provides consistent, regular monitoring of coastal processes, cliffs and coastal change, the data from which informs appropriate coastal management options and is publicly available on their webpage.  

3.2 National Coastal Erosion Risk Map

The EA’s National Coastal Erosion Risk Map provides information on predicted erosion rates in the Short- (up to 2025), Medium- (2025 to 2055) and Long-Term (2055 to 2105) for England.