Contact: Alan Inder, ext 6759 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The County Council owns and manages nearly 30 coastal landholdings, which include three country parks, nine nature reserves and some waste disposal sites, totalling more than 1,800 hectares in area with a total length of coastline of 28 kilometres (17 miles). The County Council is also responsible for highways and rights of way on the coast.

1.2 Because of growing concerns about expenditure on coastal defences, the effects of climate change (leading to rising sea levels and increased numbers of storms) and the conflict of interest between traditional coastal defence policies and modern environmental legislation, the County Council carried out a review of the effects of climate change on its coastal interests. The review was subject to public consultation in the autumn of 2003, and was considered by the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on 8 April 2004 after consideration by the three relevant policy review committees.

1.3 One of the main outcomes of this process was to set up `key area working groups' (KAWGs) for those areas where County Council landholdings, services and facilities are likely to be adversely affected by the effects of climate change and/or by current or emerging coastal defence policies. KAWGs have been set up for: Lepe to Calshot; West Hayling; Royal Victoria Country Park; and Bunny Meadows/Hook-with-Warsash Local Nature Reserve. Further groups are to be set up for Titchfield Haven, and Lymington to Keyhaven (see Map 1 for locations of the key areas). Each group is examining the implications for the County Council's statutory functions and corporate objectives of the relevant coastal defence policies, taking into account the predicted effects of climate change and the requirements of environmental legislation such as the Habitats Regulations 1994.

1.4 The purpose of each group is to recommend the most appropriate policies and actions for the short-, medium- and long-term interests of the County Council, balancing all the relevant obligations, duties and other considerations. Following adoption by the County Council, these recommended policies and actions will be fed into the relevant Coastal Defence Strategy (and subsequently the new Shoreline Management Plan covering the Hampshire coast, on which work is expected to commence later this year) that provides the official policy framework. Because the working groups have included representatives of the organisations preparing those policies - ie the Environment Agency, District Councils and English Nature - and have carried out consultation with stakeholders, it is anticipated that the County Council's adopted policies and actions will carry considerable weight in the development of Coastal Defence Strategies and the new Shoreline Management Plan.

1.5 The purposes of this report are to inform Members of progress with the KAWGs and to seek approval of recommendations for the Lepe to Calshot area. Progress is summarised in the main report, with more detailed information provided in the appendix.

1.6 All the KAWGs follow a similar process, starting with assembling relevant information, then drafting an `issues and options' report for consideration by representatives of the main Departments (Environment, Property, Business and Regulatory, and Recreation and Heritage). This corporate group is then widened to include representatives of the coastal defence operating authorities (the Environment Agency and District Councils) and English Nature. The `issues and options' report is then summarised for consultation with stakeholders, following which the consultation response is considered by the wider KAWG and preferred options agreed for recommending to the County Council's Members.

1.7 The public interest in the issues and options being considered by the KAWGs should not be underestimated. However, the consultation being undertaken by the KAWGs is just the start of a long process of public involvement in policy and decision making because, in the preparation of coastal defence strategies and the new shoreline management plan, there will be wide-ranging consultation with interested parties prior to any decisions being made. Generally there is no need to make urgent decisions concerning the County Council's interests. Because of the importance of what may be at stake and the costs of some options, it is vital that all options are fully and properly evaluated, taking into account all consultation responses. This work of the KAWGs demonstrates that the County Council is addressing these issues appropriately and responsibly.

2. General Issues and Options

2.1 Traditionally, coastal defences have been built where the need is evident and the costs can be justified in terms of the benefits of protection. However, in recent years the traditional approach has been challenged as unsustainable in the long term. The building of hard defences disrupts natural coastal processes, can have serious effects further along the coast, and unacceptable impacts on the environment both in terms of nature conservation and the landscape. Furthermore, traditional coastal defence policies are being questioned on economic grounds, especially as the standards of defences would have to be increased to deal with the effects of climate change. The need for a change in approach has also been driven by new environmental legislation, such as the Habitats Regulations 1994. As a consequence Government policy is changing, and the County Council needs to be aware of this changing context.

2.2 Therefore the County Council must determine whether it is sustainable in the long term to continue to maintain the current coastline. In making this assessment, it is important to consider in a balanced way all three components of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.

2.3 A range of possible options exists for each of the study areas. These options are based on categories outlined in Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) as follows:

(i) `No Active Intervention' which means that no work is carried out at all;

(ii) `Hold the line' where the standard of protection is maintained or improved; or

(iii) `Managed Realignment' which means identifying a new line of defence and, where appropriate, constructing new defences landward of the original defences.

A number of variations on these options exist which do not fit neatly into these definitions.

2.4 The options for future management need to be considered under different `epochs' ie short (0-20 years), medium (20-50 years) and long (50-100 years) term. This links into the next round of SMPs. Although each option is considered separately it may be that a combination of options will be applicable over different time periods. Hampshire County Council therefore needs to take an adaptive approach to future management. Understanding the coastal processes over time (for example, by trialling different techniques and by monitoring) and considering this adaptive approach is crucial to help determine when and where investment will be required in the future.

3. Lepe to Calshot Key Area Working Group - Recommended Policies

3.1 A KAWG has been considering the coastal defence options for five sections of coastline from Lepe to Calshot where the County Council has an interest, including two very important recreational facilities: Lepe Country Park and Calshot Activities Centre (see Map 2). The work is summarised in the appendix. For all five areas the KAWG recommends that the interim policy (up to 20 years) should be to `hold the line' to allow time for the options for the medium to long term, including the following, to be fully addressed:

(i) West of Lepe Country Park: consider as a possible future option the closure/severance of the road (C119) to help recreate the Dark Water estuary.

(ii) Lepe Country Park - foreshore car park: consider consequences of abandonment or removal of existing defences and possible relocation of visitor facilities.

(iii) Stansore Point: consider consequences of permanent breaching of beach.

(iv) Stanswood Bay/Calshot Hillhead: discuss with the landowner and relevant agencies the costs and benefits of managed realignment at Stanswood Bay.

(v) Calshot Spit: assess the likely costs and timing of works required to maintain the facilities and services in the face of climate change.

3.2 The following work is required to help inform future policy making:

(i) develop by December 2006 a long term strategy for Lepe Country Park;

(ii) develop better understanding of coastal processes in the area;

(iii) determine the sustainability of beach recharging; and

(iv) explore the practicalities of managed realignment at Stanswood Bay and/or Stansore Point.

4. Other Key Area Working Groups - Options Under Consideration

4.1 The following paragraphs summarise the options under consideration and further work to be undertaken by the other three KAWGs.

West Hayling KAWG

4.2 The Hayling Billy Coastal Path (HBCP) is a very important route for walking, cycling and horse riding that runs along the western shoreline of Hayling Island, along the route of the old railway. The northern end of the HBCP (north of the old oyster beds) and the link path that connects it to the main road and bridge are affected by coastal erosion, and it is difficult to justify protection in the medium to long term. Because the County Council owns the land immediately inland, it would be possible to re-route the path onto higher ground, create an area of inter-tidal habitat and remove unsightly and unsafe concrete block defences. Further south, the old landfill site must be protected in the short-term to minimise risk of pollution but, because it is doubtful whether protection is sustainable in the long term, all other options ought to be evaluated. The defended sections of the HBCP south of Knotts Marsh are subject to the threat of erosion in two locations; at the northern location it might be possible to reroute the path to satisfactory alignment and standard on higher ground in the County Council's ownership, but at the southern location re-routing would be subject to negotiation with another landowner. All these medium to long term options require further feasibility work, and a `hold the line' policy may be relevant in the short term to enable the County Council to fully consider the future impacts on its sites and to plan for change.

Royal Victoria Country Park KAWG

4.3 The County Council owns and manages Royal Victoria Country Park (RVCP), an important recreational facility that fronts the Southampton Water shoreline between Netley and Hamble. The western half of the frontage is protected by a sea wall that has reached the end of its useful life; part of it is failing, and has been fenced off from public access. The options being considered include short-term repair and maintenance, rebuilding for the long term to cope with the effects of climate change, and removal to restore to a natural coastline. It is hoped that at least some of the investigative work will be funded through the Coastal Defence Strategy for the Southampton Water shoreline from the Itchen to the Hamble, which will determine the future coastal defence policy for this area. Whatever works are needed to implement the preferred policy might have to be funded by the County Council, although all funding options will be explored.

Bunny Meadows/Hook with Warsash Local Nature Reserve KAWG

4.4 A very popular coastal footpath runs along the east bank of the Hamble estuary, from Lower Swanwick to Warsash (through Bunny Meadows), and continues eastwards along the Solent shoreline around Hook/Warsash Local Nature Reserve. The path runs along either an embankment or sea wall through the study area. Environmental legislation that must be taken into account when formulating coastal defence policies requires the consideration of options that include removal of embankments and sea walls to recreate a more natural coastline. These options will be formally evaluated through the forthcoming Shoreline Management Plan, on which work is expected to commence later this year. Because of its substantial interests in the area, both in terms of land ownership and rights of way, the County Council has been proactive in setting up a KAWG to consider the options. No firm conclusions have yet been reached.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Policy and Resources adopts, on behalf of the County Council, the Lepe to Calshot Key Area Working Group's preferred coastal defence policies (as in paragraph 3.1 of the report) for submission for inclusion in the West Solent Coastal Defence Strategy.

318/AI Rpt

APPENDIX

The Key Area Working Groups

1. Lepe to Calshot Key Area Working Group

Introduction

1.1 This Key Area Working Group has been examining a seven kilometre stretch of the coast on the north-west Solent shore where the County Council has two strategically important recreation/leisure sites: Lepe Country Park and the Calshot Activities Centre which attract some 300,000 and 130,000 visitors/customers respectively per annum. Whilst the County Council owns the freehold to some land at Lepe, most of the Country Park is leased from local estates and the Activities Centre on Calshot Spit is on land leased from the Crown. The coastline and some of the surrounding land is designated for nature conservation. The New Forest National Park encompasses the whole area. Both the Lepe Country Park foreshore car park and parts of Calshot Spit have flooded in the past. Climate change impacts such as sea level rise and increased storminess may result in more regular occurrences and the types of defences that have been built in the past may no longer be sustainable on environmental or economic grounds.

1.2 The Lepe to Calshot KAWG first met in April 2004. Initially this comprised officers from the County Council's Environment, Recreation and Heritage and Property Business and Regulatory Services - Estates Practice departments, but has subsequently been widened to include English Nature, Environment Agency, New Forest District Council and the local County Council Member. The group has looked at five study areas along the Lepe to Calshot frontage (see Map 2) and examined the various coastal defence options for the short, medium and long term taking into account the various environmental, social and economic constraints. A draft Issues and Options report was produced in February 2005 outlining the constraints and opportunities relating to possible options for the five study areas. Consultation on the report has involved a presentation to the coastal landowners and circulating the report to key authorities, the Calshot Association (representing the Maritime Coastguard, Royal National Lifeboat Institution and tenants) and district councillors.

Issues and Options

1.3 For both Lepe Country Park and the Calshot Activities Centre the aim has been to maintain the integrity of the County Council's service at these two popular coastal recreational assets, but at the same time recognising that over time an adaptive approach is required to enable the continuance of its services on a cost-effective basis whilst maintaining and where possible enhancing the environment. The following summarises the main issues and recommended options for the five study areas:

West of Lepe Country Park (between Lepe House and the entrance to the foreshore car park)

1.4 Here the C119 Lepe Road runs parallel to the shore providing both access to property and a recreational vehicular route between Exbury Gardens and the Country Park. The sea defences have been constructed by the County Council, in three stages, over the past 20 years. The concrete sea wall (some 380 metres long) helps protect the road. The Dark Water which flows into the Solent here has been identified in the Solent Coastal Habitat Management Plan (CHaMP) as a potential compensation habitat site, through managed realignment. However, managed realignment remains a controversial issue for landowners because of the legal, management and financial uncertainties associated with it. Proposals for this section of coast are:

(i) Short term - `Hold the Line' As the defences are of fairly recent construction they are unlikely to require significant maintenance or repair in the foreseeable future. For environmental reasons `soft' engineering options such as beach recharging would be considered if investigation found this to be sustainable.

(ii) Medium to Long term - Consider closure/severance of the road as a possible future option to help recreate the estuary. Realigning the road and defences on a new route inland is not considered worthy of further consideration because of the environmental designations applied to the Dark Water valley.

Lepe Country Park- foreshore car park

1.5 The existing visitor/café facility and foreshore car park overlooking the Solent are highly popular with visitors. However, the buildings are coming to the end of their design life and beyond some minor refurbishment for the short term will need to be replaced. Despite the existing timber revetments the foreshore area is subject to periodic flooding; a problem likely to worsen over time as a consequence of climate change. Consequently, a long term strategy for the Park is required to consider how to maintain its services and facilities in the future. Proposals for this section of coast are:

(i) Short term - `Hold the Line' The existing facilities will need to continue to be protected until such time as new facilities can be planned and implemented. This will involve the replacement/ repair (to the same standard) of the existing timber revetments and groynes as necessary and/or `soft' options such as beach recharging if likely to be sustainable.

(ii) Medium to Long term - consider consequences of abandonment or removal of existing defences and possible relocation of visitor facilities. It is acknowledged that should predicted sea level rise and increased storminess occur it may no longer be economically or environmentally sustainable to continue to


defend the foreshore area, therefore planning for new facilities will need to include the option of locating the facilities inland onto higher ground.

Stansore Point

1.6 Within the Country Park the defences consisting of timber revetments and groynes are maintained by the County Council. A gravel path behind the revetments provides a shoreline pedestrian route from the foreshore car park northwards around Stansore Point to the D-Day (Mulberry Harbour) remains. Here utilities (gas) pass through over to the Isle of Wight. A temporary breach has occurred here in the recent past. Although the land behind the coast is not identified in the CHaMP it may offer some potential as a habitat creation site. Proposals for this section of coast are:

(i) Short term - `Hold the Line' The integrity of the Country Park is of fundamental concern to the County Council and this includes maintaining the link between the foreshore parking area and that part of the park north of Stansore Point. Any maintenance/repair required will be to the same standard as existing.

(ii) Medium to Long term - consider consequences of permanent breaching of beach. If the long-term strategy for the Country Park referred to previously concludes that the costs of repairing any future breaches is not sustainable, and that there are habitat creation benefits and no adverse impacts on coastal processes, then allowing a permanent breach to occur may be acceptable on balance, in spite of the severance of the coastal path.

Stanswood Bay/Hillhead

1.7 This area is characterised by a shingle barrier beach fronting Cadland House and, to the north, eroding cliffs (up to four metres high) of national geological importance - Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Here the defences are maintained by private landowners. Whilst the beach in the vicinity of the Stanswood Valley is closed to public access, to the north between Nelsons Place and Hillhead a one kilometre stretch of the beach is leased to the County Council and forms part of the Country Park. The Stanswood Valley is identified in the CHaMP as a potential compensation habitat site and the Solent Dynamic Coastline project is looking into the feasibility of this. Proposals for this section of coast are:

(i) Short term - `Hold the Line' Whilst the defences in this locality are not the County Council's responsibility or of strategic importance in relation to its operations, hold the line is supported dependent on any maintenance/repairs being to the same standard as existing and/or trialling `soft' engineering options such as recharging, subject to any works being compatible with nature conservation.

(ii) Medium to long term - Discuss with the landowner and relevant agencies the costs and benefits of managed realignment at Stanswood Bay, including procedural, legal and financial implications.

Calshot Spit

1.8 The Spit hosts a strategically important assemblage of leisure, cultural and community facilities and services, including the County Council's Activities Centre which attracts customers from across the region. There is strong commitment to the Activity Centre, demonstrated by the planned new accommodation block. The Spit's strategic value also derives from the protection it affords to Southampton Water and the developments along its waterfront such as Fawley Power Station in its lea. Fortunately the spit is a stable feature, being naturally sustained through long shore drift. However, it is susceptible to occasional flooding (two major floods in the past ten years) particularly from the access road where it is at its lowest. The issue, therefore, is the long term impact of sea level rise. The North Quay wall, which helps to protect the shingle bank, is also in a poor condition and will require attention. Proposals for this section of coast are:

(i) Short and Medium terms - `Hold the Line' The strategic value of the buildings and services provided on Calshot Spit requires a continuation of `hold the line'. In the short term both potential breach points on the access road and at North Quay will require attention.

(ii) Long term -Assess the likely costs and timing of works required to maintain the facilities and services in the face of climate change. The long term policy will be dependent upon the monitoring of climate change impacts.

1.9 The following work is required which will help inform future policies over the medium to long term:

(i) Develop by December 2006 a long term strategy for the Lepe Country Park in association with interested partners, in particular landowners, the New Forest National Park Authority, New Forest District Council, English Nature and the Environment Agency. This should include consideration of related issues such as the future of the C119 Lepe Road.

(ii) Develop better understanding of coastal processes and assess the impacts of changes to coastal defence policies, eg managed realignment; much of this work is currently being undertaken or could be done through the emerging Western Solent Coastal Defence Strategy.

(iii) Determine the sustainability of beach recharging in appropriate locations.

(iv) Explore the practicalities of managed realignment, at Stansore Point and/or Stanswood Bay, with landowners and relevant agencies.

2. West Hayling Key Area Working Group

2.1 The Hayling Billy Coastal Path is a popular leisure route which follows the former course of the `Hayling Billy' railway line along the western shoreline of Hayling Island. A further `link path' runs from the northern end of the Hayling Billy Coastal Path to the main Havant-Hayling road, close to the bridge. The path is a very popular recreational route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and is also used to a limited extent by commuters to Havant. The path and some of the surrounding land, including a former landfill site, is owned and managed by Hampshire County Council. There are small residential areas close to the path at Stoke and Fleet; however, much of the surrounding area is either grazing or arable land in private ownership. Much of the coastline and surrounding land are designated for nature conservation.

2.2 Erosion is evident along some parts of the Hayling Billy Coastal Path and there have been significant changes in the intertidal habitats fronting this coast, including substantial decline in the extent of saltmarsh. The types of defences that have been built in the past may not be sustainable in the long term, because maintenance or replacement is likely to require considerable public funding, and the detrimental impacts on the environment may be unacceptable. The challenge therefore is to find more cost-effective and environmentally acceptable solutions.

2.3 An initial internal West Hayling KAWG first met in June 2004 and has since widened to include representatives of English Nature, Environment Agency and Havant Borough Council. The group has examined the various coastal defence options for the short, medium and long term taking into account the various environmental, social and economic constraints. The following work has been carried out to date:

(i) Count and questionnaire survey of users (August 2004) which confirmed the popularity of the path for cyclists, walkers and horse riders and also sought the public's views on the future management of the defences.

(ii) Issues and options report (December 2004) outlined all the constraints and opportunities of possible coastal defence options. A summary leaflet and response form were circulated to a number of key organisations, stakeholders and some households on Hayling Island. An exhibition was held at Hayling Island Library and at the Hayling Island Community Centre for three days (28-30 January 2005) where representatives of the County Council, Havant Borough Council and English Nature were available to answer questions in relation to the options presented.

(iii) Coastal change survey (April 2005): The Channel Coastal Observatory has been employed to interpret historic photography for Langstone Harbour to enable historic rates of saltmarsh loss, cliff recession, residential and commercial development, channel movement and reclamation to be determined.

2.4 The main aim for the County Council is to keep the Hayling Billy Coastal Path open whilst ensuring cost effective defence solutions that do not damage the environment. The study areas under consideration have a number of conflicts of interest that need to be considered. The following summarises the main issues, results of the consultation and the possible options:

(i) Embankment protecting the road and bridge

It is likely that the preferred option will be to `hold the line' in the short, medium and long term because of the importance of the road and bridge for access to and from the island.

(ii) Hayling Billy Link Path and the Hayling Billy Coastal Path north of the oyster beds

The link path connects the Hayling Billy Coastal Path to the main road and bridge. The defences fronting this path are eroding and are in danger of being breached. The consultation favoured a `hold the line' policy in the short term and `managed realignment' in the medium to long term, allowing about three hectares of habitat creation (mainly saltmarsh). The path could be re-routed along higher ground to the east. It would be desirable to remove the concrete waste from alongside the path, if it can be achieved cost-effectively.

(iii) Former landfill adjacent to the oyster beds

It is likely that a `hold the line' policy will be favoured in the short and medium term because of the risk of pollution and high costs of removal of the waste material. However the County Council needs to consider how best to defend the landfill and consider alternative feasible solutions for the long term.

(iv) Defended sections of the Hayling Billy Coastal Path south of Knotts Marsh

Within these sections the Hayling Billy Coastal Path runs very close to the eroding coast. The County Council owns land behind the northern section but further south the adjacent land is in private ownership. Wooden stakes have been used to protect the path from erosion, but maintenance of these in recent years has been permitted by English Nature only on condition that a more sustainable approach be sought for the long term. The consultation favoured a `hold the line' approach by maintaining the natural bank. Removal of the wooden stakes may help reduce erosion and a natural bank would provide sediment to the system which may help protect against future erosion. It is unlikely that maintenance of the wooden stakes will be permitted and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is unlikely to fund this option due to the low value of the land protected. Medium to long term solutions will be dependent on the results of beach profile monitoring which will help to understand how this coast is changing. An investigation into the feasibility and cost of realigning the path inland (for the southern section this may not be feasible) may also be required. This recognises the need for an adaptive approach for the medium to long term that may be subject to further work, as the `hold the line' option may not be sustainable on environmental and/or economic grounds. However, the `hold the line' policy is important in the short term to enable the County Council to fully consider the future impacts on its sites and to plan for change to ensure that the provision of its services is not adversely affected/disrupted.

2.5 The final preferred option for each study area will be fully outlined in a strategy in autumn 2005 which will be based on further consideration of the sustainability of each option in terms of its impacts on the environment, social and economic considerations and the results of the consultation.

2.6 The following work is required to determine coastal policies for West Hayling to feed into the next Shoreline Management Plan:

(i) Inform consultees about the results of the consultation through an update newsletter (June 2005);

(ii) Complete a draft strategy of the preferred option for each study area by July 2005;

(iii) Consultation with a wider KAWG to include representatives of local stakeholders, possibly through a workshop (June 2005);

(iv) Final strategy (September 2005); and

(v) In partnership with Havant Borough Council and others, carry out annual monitoring of 29 beach profiles. Together with the historic coastal change survey this work can then be used to help predict future erosion rates and the potential risk to the Hayling Billy Coastal Path, and therefore inform management decisions regarding coastal defence.

2.7 The following items will be dependent on the final options and will require feasibility studies and costings, and may have budget implications:

(i) Prepare coastal defences schemes as appropriate at study areas;

(ii) Prepare scheme for managed realignment as appropriate;

(iii) Feasibility study of realigning the path as appropriate; and

(iv) Carry out works as necessary.

2.8 When the further work has been completed, the KAWG's preferred options will be reported to Members.

3. Royal Victoria Country Park Key Area Working Group

Introduction

3.1 An initial internal officer group first met in January 2005 and has subsequently been widened to include English Nature, the Environment Agency, Eastleigh Borough Council and the local County Council Member. The group is examining the Country Park frontage between the Victoria Road entrance and Netley Sailing Club. The following work has been carried out to date:

(i) Draft Issues and Options Report (March 2005) outlined all the constraints and opportunities of possible coastal defence options; and

(ii) Royal Victoria Country Park Retaining Wall - Preliminary Report.

3.2 The main issue is the poor condition of the retaining wall which helps to protect the Park access road and provides pedestrian access along the top of the structure. A mains pumping sewer is also located between the wall and access road (Southern Water has been consulted on the draft Issues and Options Report). A void has appeared behind the wall (caused by holes in the wall through which material is being sucked out at each tide cycle) and on safety grounds the footway has now been fenced off. A visual inspection and preliminary assessment of the wall has been undertaken recently and this indicates that corrosion is present on the entire structure and in some places is severe. The location of significant corrosion varies, but is generally at the bottom of the exposed section of the piles, at or around beach level. This is critical in terms of the stability of the wall, and the structural integrity of the wall cannot be guaranteed.

3.3 The future of the wall is potentially critical to the future of the only public vehicular access to the park and possibly the mains sewer. Consequently, it is proposed to commission (in-house) a Feasibility Study to identify possible options for remedial works to the wall, to be completed within the next six months.

4. Bunny Meadows/Hook with Warsash Local Nature Reserve Key Area Working Group

4.1 An internal Bunny Meadows/Hook Local Nature Reserve (LNR) KAWG first met in November 2004 and has since widened to include representatives of English Nature, the Environment Agency and Fareham Borough Council. The group has looked at three study areas and examined the various coastal defence options for the short, medium and long term taking into account the various environmental, social and economic constraints. The following work has been carried out to date:

(i) Draft Issues and Options Report (April 2005) outlines all the constraints and opportunities of a series of possible options for the three study areas; and

(ii) Coastal change survey (May 2005): The Channel Coastal Observatory has been employed to interpret historic photography for the Hamble estuary to enable historic rates of saltmarsh loss, cliff recession, residential and commercial development, channel movement and reclamation to be determined.

4.2 The main aim for the County Council is to maintain the very popular coastal footpaths in the area whilst ensuring cost-effective defence solutions that do not damage the environment. The study areas under consideration have a number of conflicts of interest that need to be considered. The following summarises the main issues and possible options:

(i) Bunny Meadows

The well-used path along the east bank of the River Hamble from Swanwick to Warsash runs through an area known as Bunny Meadows on an embankment that separates an area of marshes from the main Hamble estuary. Environmental legislation requires consideration to be given to the removal of the embankment, wholly or partly, to restore the relationship of Bunny Meadows to the estuary. However, this would result in the loss of an important footpath. The options being considered include:

(a) maintaining the status quo;

(b) maintaining the route and raising the level of the pathway to cope with sea level rise;

(c) opening up the culverts and bridging the gaps; or

(d) re-routing the pathway further inland (although the County Council does not own any suitable land for a new pathway).

(ii) The Environment Agency's seawall north of Hook Spit protects Hook Lake and the associated reedbeds and freshwater marsh that occupy the former estuary there. This sea wall will need future maintenance and it is unclear whether permission would be granted for this in the future, as environmental legislation requires consideration of alternatives, including removal of the sea wall to restore the estuary conditions. However, removal of the seawall would result in the loss of the coastal path, which is very well-used.

(iii) The shingle spit at Hook and the beach to the east that fronts the LNR may be vulnerable to erosion. Breaching would lead to habitat changes within the LNR, and the severance of the coastal path. Further research is required on the coastal processes operating along Hook spit and foreshore to determine whether these areas are stable or whether further defences works are required.

4.3 Further work will be carried out to consult with key stakeholders, and the format of this work will be decided by the wider KAWG meeting. A user survey is also planned for summer 2005. When the further work has been completed, the KAWG's preferred options will be reported to Members.

Glossary of Terms

Beach Recharging - The nourishment of beaches from which sand or shingle has been lost by replenishment using artificial methods.

Groynes - Structures in rock or timber, generally at right angles to the shoreline, used to control the movement of beach material.

Revetments - A cladding of stone, concrete or other material to protect embankments or other shoreline structures against erosion by wave action or currents.