UK: Financial Boost for Christchurch Coastal Repairs

Following the storms of Christmas 2013 and February 2014, more than £1.4 million has been pledged for coastal repairs in Christchurch.

Around £1.2 million of this is coming from the Environment Agency after Christchurch Council put in bids for work to repair damaged groynes and promenades and for beach replenishment. Christchurch Council will also be contributing £220,000 to the work.

Some £188,000 has already been spent on schemes to repair groynes at Friars Cliff beach, promenades at Avon Beach and on flood defences at Mudeford Quay.

Work on coastal protection measures at Highcliffe beach and groyne repairs at Avon beach and Gundimore beach will start this month. A larger piece of work on a beach replenishment scheme along the Christchurch coast will take place later next year following environmental assessments.

Cllr John Lofts, council champion for coastal protection, said: “Our coastline was devastated by the storms last winter. Luckily we had very sound coastal defences which prevented more damage but many of these have become eroded.

“We put in bids for funding from the Environment Agency’s Flood Defence Grant and we were very pleased to get more than £1.2 million to help repair our coastal defences, to which we will add our own contribution.

“A lot of work will now be undertaken to get our defences back to the high standard they were before the storms.”