North Portsea Island scheme – July 2020 update

July 1, 2020, by Zlatan Hrvacevic

Work is progressing on the Portsmouth City Council North Portsea Island Phase 4 scheme, informs the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership (ESCP).

According to ESCP, before the contractor Mackley starts work on the defences next to the coastal path, a section of the coastal path will be temporarily closed from 1st July 2020.

The fourth of five phases which make up the £58m North Portsea Island Coastal Defence Scheme, is divided into two sections: Kendall’s Wharf and Eastern Road.

Works on the Kendall’s Wharf started in November 2019. This section covers an area of approximately 300 metres starting at the northern part of Eastern Road near Kendall’s Wharf. This will involve raising the road and constructing an earth embankment.

The second section, Eastern Road, involves the construction of a sea wall along 2.1km of coastline at Eastern Road. A planning application has been submitted for this work and is currently being consulted on through the Local Planning Authority via the Portsmouth City Council website. Subject to planning approval, work should begin on these defences in September 2020.

The North Portsea Island Coastal Flood Defence Scheme has been split into five phases of works, three of which are complete, and the fourth phase is under construction.

Phase 1 – Anchorage Park 2015 – 2016: the construction of 1.4km of earth embankment with rock revetment toe completed in 2016 at a cost of £5m;
Phase 2 – Milton Common 2016: the construction of 1.5km of a set back earth embankments and rock revetment structure, completed in 2016 at £3m;
Phase 3 – Tipner Lake 2017 – 2019: the construction of 1.9km of a seawall which commenced April 2017 and was completed in 2019;
Phase 4a&b – (a)Eastern Road and (b)Kendall’s Wharf 2019 – 2022: the construction of a seawall with road raising at the entrance to Kendall’s Wharf;
Phase 5 – Ports Creek 2023 – 2024: currently going through a detailed design review which once complete will lead to the procurement of the contractor.