Designs for sea defense work in Portsmouth have been officially approved.
The next phase of Portsmouth’s coastal defense project has been greenlit, despite concerns that it might inadvertently become a skatepark ”all along the seafront”.
This initiative involves constructing defenses spanning a 2.8-mile (4.5km) stretch of coastline, with the primary aim of safeguarding 4,000 homes vulnerable to the threat of rising sea levels.
During the city’s planning committee session, there were reservations regarding the landscaping, incorporation of public art, and the design of seating arrangements.
Assurances were provided that the inclusion of metal studs and armrests would deter any misuse of the facilities.
Southsea Coastal Scheme
The UK’s largest council-led coastal defence project
2.8 miles(4.5km) of coastline between Eastney and Old Portsmouth protected
10,000homes at risk of flooding
40%of Portsmouth could flood regularly without sea defences
11,474tonnes of rock imported from Norway for the defences
£180moverall budget
£950mestimated cost of a major flooding event in Southsea
Source: Portsmouth City Council.
Being one of the UK’s most at-risk cities concerning low-lying areas, Portsmouth faces heightened vulnerability to flooding as sea levels continue to rise due to climate change.
During the committee session, deliberations centered around the design aspects of the fourth phase of the Southsea coastal scheme, spanning from Long Curtain Moat to Eastney.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson, a member of the committee, expressed concerns regarding the bench designs, describing them as “an absolute invitation to ride scooters up them.” However, he retracted his request for redesign upon learning that the benches would feature metal studs, and armrests would deter skateboarders and scooter riders.
Council officers clarified that the bench designs were intended to mirror the “windswept nature of the coastal environment.”
Initially, the plans included feature walls to exhibit artwork by local artists. However, the committee learned that these installations would instead be overseen by the council’s culture department.
Judith Smyth, another committee member, expressed skepticism about the council’s ability to deliver art installations ”given the parlous state on public finances”. ”The sea defence team should be really proud of the fact that people like what’s being done so much that they’re not picking up on the agreements that there were about art,” she said.
Monuments such as the Shannon Naval Brigade, Trafalgar Memorial, Trident Memorial, Aboukir Memorial, and Chesapeake Memorial will be carefully dismantled and stored during the construction works.
Permission for the overall scheme was granted in December 2019.
