Previous Engagement

This page sets out the engagement which was conducted during the option appraisal and outline design stage of the Langstone Coastal Defence Scheme.

Engagement with the local community and other stakeholders is an integral and important part of developing the scheme.

Key stakeholders have a unique view on the use, development and protection of Langstone and are a valuable source of information and advice that help steer the development of the scheme. During the option appraisal and outline design phase we engaged with residents, the wider Langstone community and other key stakeholders (statutory and non-statutory). We provided an opportunity to feed into the appraisal process and for the project team to incorporate views into future management of the Langstone coastline.

Community Update Video

To support the progression of the project from outline design into detailed design, the project team prepared video to summarise the journey through outline design and the next steps through the detailed design stage.

Steering Group

A project Steering Group was set up to work in partnership with the project team to support the development of technically, economically and environmentally sustainable coastal management options for the Langstone coastline. The group included representatives from Havant Borough Council (planning and conservation), Hampshire County Council (highways and rights of way), the Environment Agency, Chichester Harbour Conservancy and the Langstone Harbour Authority. The role of the Steering Group was to guide the delivery of the project, share knowledge, particularly regarding local issues, identify opportunities and constraints, ensure best practice and provide feedback and input to decision making.

Langstone Key Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) at Detailed Design (2021-Present)

The Langstone Key Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) has continued to meet during the Detailed Design Phase.

For further information and outcomes of these meetings, please visit the LSWG page.

Langstone Key Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) at Outline Design (2018-2020)

The Langstone Key Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) was set up early in the project to provide opportunity for local community bodies and other key stakeholders to directly input into the development of the scheme.

LSWG members include representatives from:

Langstone Residents Association
Langstone Village Association
The Ship Inn Public House
The Royal Oak Public House
Langstone Sailing Club
Langstone Rowing Club
Langstone Conservation Group
Havant Civic Society
The Old Mill owner
Langstone Councillors

During the option appraisal and outline design phase, the group met three times at key points during the project.

Langstone Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) #1 – Project Start-up (September 2018)

The aim of the workshop was to establish the LSWG, understand and agree the role of the group members, to share information and gather feedback through a series of table top exercises to achieve meaningful engagement and create working relationships. The purpose of the interactive table top exercise was to explore questions and opportunities and to address concerns, gain a wider understanding of local aspirations and to understand what is viewed in the community as a successful scheme. The exercises were focused around Coastal Defences, Recreation and Access, and Wider Opportunities and Broader Considerations.

Langstone Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) #2 – Shortlist (November 2018)

The aim of this workshop was to update on the work completed to date, to pass on the details of the shortlisting process, to share the options shortlisted and to explain the next steps of the study. The format included posters and a presentation followed by a group discussion.

Langstone Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG) #3 - Leading Options (July 2019)

The aim of the third workshop was to update on the work completed since the last meeting, to present the leading options, update on the funding situation, present the core scheme alignment and to explain the next steps.

Langstone Collaborative Stakeholder Workshop (March 2020)

On the 9^th March 2020, a collaborative stakeholder workshop was held at the Havant Public Service Plaza. The aim was to provide an opportunity to revisit and discuss the drivers for a scheme and to explore the coastal defence options for Langstone as a community.

Members of the Langstone Stakeholder Working Group (LSWG), key representatives from the community with an interest in Langstone and front-line residents were invited to attend the workshop. Attendees included local residents within the scheme area, resident’s associations, recreational groups, local businesses and conservation groups. In total there were 31 external attendees.

The collaborative workshop proved a valuable exercise in seeking the views and ideas of organisations and individuals from across the Langstone area, providing a platform for building trust and mutual collaboration. The feedback given during this meeting directly resulted in the assessment of and further engagement on an alternative defence alignment for the Royal Oak frontage. See the ‘Langstone Alternative Alignment Questionnaire’ below.

Workshop

Exhibition

Statutory Stakeholders

The project team have also engaged separately with Natural England and Historic England as statutory stakeholders to obtain advice and their support at the short list and leading options stages of the project.

Face-to-face Meetings

Following identification of the leading coastal management options, the project team spent a two-month period carrying out 14 face-to-face meetings with residents who may be directly affected by a potential scheme. The team were welcomed into the residents’ homes to openly share and discuss the leading options. During this period the team also held face-to-face meetings with the Ship Inn, the Royal Oak, Langstone Sailing Club, Natural England, Historic England, Hampshire County Council, Chichester Harbour Conservancy and utility companies to discuss the leading options and potential funding contribution opportunities.

The project team have also met in person, virtually and onsite with representatives of the Langstone SOS Group on a number of occasions to discuss their thoughts and ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions Webpage

Questions and answers which were made available during the options appraisal and outline design phase have been downloaded into an ‘Archived Previously Asked Questions’ document, which is accessible here. We are creating a newly updated FAQ webpage to support the next phase of design, providing the latest questions and answers.

Public Events & Engagement

Public Exhibitions

Shortlist – November 2018

Two public events were held in November 2018 in the Ship Inn and the Langstone Sailing Club to share the shortlist options. The events provided a fantastic opportunity for residents and visitors to find out more about the coastal defence study, speak to the project team and to share their views on the shortlisted options being put forward.

During the events, the local community were also invited to share their aspirations to improve the public space along the waterfront. Both events were well received and in total 114 people attended and over 50 questionnaires were completed which fed directly into the appraisal of the short list options to identify a preferred way forward for Langstone.

A summary report of the outcomes of this shortlist exhibition is available at the bottom of this page.

Leading Options – January 2020

Two further public engagement exhibitions to disseminate the Langstone leading options were held on the 8th and 9th of January 2020 at Langstone Sailing Club and the Ship Inn. Over 200 people attended, and 90 questionnaires were completed during the events. Feedback from the Leading Options public events and results of the questionnaires were very mixed with widely differing opinions highlighted in the questionnaire responses. A summary report for this exhibition was prepared and is available at the bottom of this page.

Questionnaires

Throughout the option appraisal and outline design phase of the scheme, several community questionnaires were provided, in order to invite feedback on the options as they developed (at the launch of the study phase, at the Shortlist and Preferred Option Exhibitions and on an alternative alignment).

A report for each of these questionnaires is available, and these are linked at the bottom of this page.

Langstone Alternative Alignment Questionnaire

Feedback from the January 2020 public events and the collaborative workshop in March 2020 clearly showed that a key concern was the seawall option along the Royal Oak frontage in the core scheme. Concerns raised related to impacts on views and heritage associated with a higher flood wall along this frontage. The community talked about an alternative option of reinforcing the quay while accepting some flooding in the future but with increased resilience of properties.

The project team took these concerns on board and revisited options for this section of the core scheme. As a result, two further options for the Royal Oak frontage were identified, incorporating an alternative defence alignment. Following an appraisal of the feasibility of this alternative alignment by our consultants AECOM, an engagement exercise was carried out with the community of Langstone to clarify which alignment was most supported by the community.

In total 109 responses to the survey were received. Of those who took the opportunity to respond, 61% of responders preferred the leading option of a raised wall at the Royal Oak to the alternatives presented. This is largely due to the fact that it protects the most number of properties, will protect the heritage buildings of Langstone into the future and will provide emergency access along the Quayside.

The report which summarises the engagement on the alternative alignment options is available to view, please click here.

Further Information