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Coastal protection
Our coastal protection team is responsible for managing coastal flood and erosion risk from the sea by maintaining and where possible improving Portsmouth's sea defences.
Portsmouth is a low-lying maritime city and one of the most densely populated areas in Britain. Some areas are at risk from tidal flooding and wave overtopping and it is important that our defences are well maintained.
The maintenance work is carried out by contractors who are managed by the team.
Typical maintenance work includes: surveys, sea wall repairs, rock armour replacement, steel sheet piling, navigation light and beacon maintenance and beach replenishment.
All work carried out along the coastline must take the environment into account. Portsmouth and Langstone Harbours are of national and international importance to nature conservation and support wintering birds on the intertidal mudflats and saltmarsh.
In 2008 the Coastal Partnership was set up and the team now works with Havant and Gosport borough councils on all coastal projects.
Future of sea defences
With sea levels anticipated to rise over the next 100 years, we need to manage the coastal flood and erosion risk to the city by leading on the Portsea Island Coastal Strategy Study and working with the Environment Agency on their Portchester Castle to Emsworth Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy.
From 1 February to 23 April 2010, we and other coastal authorities are consulting residents on another major plan, the draft North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (SMP).
The SMP outlines proposals to manage the coastal flood and erosion risks to the North Solent shoreline for the next 20, 50 and 100 years.
Residents in Portsmouth are invited to come along to their local exhibition on the plan on Monday 8 February at Central Library, Guildhall Square, between 2pm and 7pm.
Covering Hurst Spit in the west to Selsey Bill in the east, the SMP breaks down the coastline into different sections and recommends one of four policies for each area:
- Hold the line - maintain or upgrade the level of protection provided by existing defences
- Advance the line - build new defences seaward of existing defences
- Managed Realignment - allow retreat of the shoreline with management to control or limit movement
- No active intervention - not to invest in providing or maintaining defences
For more on the draft SMP, see the plan website.
Contact us
You can:
- email coastalprotection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
- call 023 9283 4815
- fax 023 9284 1482
- write to
Coastal Protection Team
Civic Offices
Guildhall Square
Portsmouth, PO1 2NG
Associated documents:
Policy statement on flood and coastal defence (0.04 MB)
Protecting Portsea Island's coastline - leaflet (0.53 MB)
Portsea Island Strategic Environmental Appraisal (1.77 MB)
Portsea Island flood cell map (1.06 MB)
