Last Friday, Kieran Mullan, MP for the Bexhill and Battle constituency, met with senior managers of the Environment Agency at their site in Pevensey Bay for an update on the Eastbourne to Pevensey Bay Coastal Management Scheme.
Kieran met with Simon Moody, Area Director, of the Environment Agency along with Nick Gray and Andrew Walker who are managing the project.
This sea defence scheme is one of the largest in the country and is being designed to protect over 10,000 homes, businesses and infrastructure from flooding due to climate change and rising sea levels for the next 100 years. The project covers the coastline from Holywell in Eastbourne to Cooden Beach in Bexhill.
Climate change forecasts estimate that sea levels will rise by 10cm by 2030. It is also expected that extreme weather and more frequent storm events will require additional interventions to prevent sea defences being breached. This will take the form of additional beach management, groyne repairs and, in the longer term, additional engineering solutions.
The Environment Agency set up the Pevensey Bay Coastal Community Group in to engage and consult with local residents and businesses about the plans to protect the coastline. The group has met 13 times since inception and community representatives have been actively involved in sharing their experiences, challenging evidence and pressing for interventions.
Following the meeting, Kieran said
“It was an extremely helpful meeting with Environment Agency senior officials to hear more about the sea defence project for Pevensey, Normans Bay and Cooden Beach. This project is vital to protect communities, businesses and infrastructure from the impact of climate change and rising sea levels. I will be absolutely focussed on making sure it provides the level of protection needed and I will be ready to intervene at government level should there be any barriers to delivery. In the meantime, a member of my team will attend the Pevensey Bay Coastal Community Group meetings, which generally take place when I am in Parliament, to keep me informed of developments and community concerns. I am arranging a meeting with local resident members of the group in the near future to hear their perspectives on the project.”
