Stephen Morgan MP revisited the Southsea Coastal Defence programme to see first-hand progress in construction following work that commenced between the Pyramids and Speakers’ Corner in September 2023.
The Southsea Coastal Scheme is the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defences project, worth more than £100M, which the city MP helped secure from various funding sources and has been following its progress closely.
It will stretch for 4.5km from Old Portsmouth to Eastney, and help to reduce the risk of flooding to more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses.
There are now more than 100 step revetments installed at Pyramids to Speakers’ Corner, which means it’s over 70% complete. This is the primary flood defence which starts at the Pyramids and runs eastwards along the seafront, as part of improving coastal flood protection along with promenade.
The City MP said that recent bouts of flooding impacting residents in Southsea during heavy rainfall have further increased the importance of building strong sea defences in the area to protect the city from coastal flooding.
The current coastal defences do not offer a sufficient level of protection and are at the end of their serviceable life, leaving 10,000 homes and 704 commercial properties in Southsea at risk from coastal flooding.
The next phase of the programme is due for completion in late May 2024, in time for the city’s D-Day 80 commemorations.
Commenting on the visit to pass on views of constituents and review progress with the project team, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
”It was fantastic to be on-site and see first-hand the progress being made by the Southsea Coastal Defence programme.
“Recent flooding in Southsea has reminded us all of the urgent need for our city to be better protected from the impact of climate change, especially from the sea. The project team are doing a commendable job making progress towards that aim.
“I will continue to work alongside others, sharing the views of constituents and lobbying for support from Government to secure the protection of our city from flooding.”
Mr Morgan has previously taken action in parliament on the importance of Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme and similar projects, to ensure they get the support they need from government to protect communities across the UK from material flood risks. Read more about this here.
The city MP has committed to continuing to raise of the need for flooding protection in order to safeguard the interests and livelihoods of constituents and protect Portsmouth’s precious environment.
