Agenda and draft minutes

There were none

There were none

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 November were signed as a true and correct record.

(NOTE: The Board is required to receive a deputation(s) on a matter which is before the meeting of the Board provided that notice of the intended deputation and its object shall have been received by the Borough Solicitor by 12 noon Monday 6^th January 2025. The total time for deputations in favour and against a proposal shall not exceed 10 minutes)

There were none

(NOTE: The Board is required to allow a total of 15 minutes for questions from Members of the public on matters within the terms of reference of the Board provided that notice of such Question(s) shall have been submitted to the Borough Solicitor by 12 noon on Monday 6^th January 2025)

There was one public question in the name of David Kelly

QUESTION

In the minutes of the Community and Environment Board meeting dated 21 Sep 22 it was stated that the size and age of the power cable discovered in the Stokes Lake flood defence wall had created unforeseen technical challenges and that officers were working with SSE to resolve them.  Resolution of this issue clearly impacted on project costs and timescales.  As the age and no doubt the condition of this cable continues to deteriorate and 28 months later, can a statement be made as to what viable solution has been decided upon to address this problem and project timescales when funding is granted? This would inform and help manage Alverstoke residents' expectations. Thank you!

ANSWER

The position has not changed from that previously reported to the C&E Board, full Council and local residents.  Until the Government's Environment Agency confirm the additional funding required for the Alverstoke Flood Relief scheme to proceed, no further progress can be made.  So far both the former Conservative Government and the current Labour Government have failed to provide the additional funding required for works to go-ahead despite repeated requests from this Council for them to do so.

This report seeks approval for project delivery of the Hill Head to Portsmouth Harbour Beach Management Plan, in conjunction with Fareham Borough Council. The proposed works involve targeted beach renourishment along the coastal frontage between Hill Head and Portsmouth Harbour Entrance. The approval for project delivery includes draw down of project funding, procurement, and construction under the beach management plan.

The Chairman brought the Members attention to an addendum to the published recommendations.

Consideration was given to a report by Coastal Partners seeking approval for project delivery of the Hill Head to Portsmouth Harbour Beach Management Plan in conjunction with Fareham Borough Council.

The report was introduced advising Members that the BMP is a technical and operational document, which helps to inform, guide and assist responsible authorities, organisations and individuals in managing a beach.

Members were advised that this is the first frontage-wide BMP to be implemented here. Previous beach management works have been undertaken as individual projects, but not under a single unified plan. The BMP will be undertaken in line with the approved policies from the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan, and the River Hamble to Portchester Strategy, to "Hold the Line" along the whole frontage

Officers explained that the aim of the BMP is to reinstate healthy beach levels along the frontage to help reduce the risk of coastal flooding and erosion; to increase the life of existing hard coastal defences to the rear of the beaches, and to sustain amenity use along the coastline. It is intended to identify erosive beaches and recommend locations, which need beach management works over the next 10-year period and provides guidance on healthy beach levels, and operational methods for restoring beaches.

Members were advised that the project has an allocated budget of £662,485 from the Environment Agency, through both Flood Defence Grant in Aid and Other Government Department funding, which can be unlocked through the successful submission of an Outline Business Case, as highlighted in the paper recommendations.

In answer to Members questions officers advised that the outfall at Stokes Bay that, when blocked, causes flooding of the River Alver would be a priority extraction area under the plan. There had been no update from the Environmental Agency regarding clearance of that area which currently is under permissive management.  The other outfall in the Home Park is outside of this plan, and officers advised checking that the MOD are upholding their responsibilities to monitor drainage in this area.

Members welcomed this report and plan and hoped it would help address and affect, beach and ocean health, erosion and wildlife habitats.

RESOLVED:

That the Board:

·         Approved the implementation, subject to funding approval, of the Beach Management Plan 2024-2034

·         Approved the submission of the Outline Business Case to the Environment Agency to secure funding and progress the implementation of the Plan

·         Approved the submission of appropriate consents for the works proposed by the Plan

·         Authorised the Chief Executive to procure and subsequently enter into an agreement in consultation with the Borough Solicitor to enable delivery of these works

·         Approved Gosport Borough Council to draw-down funding from the Environment Agency and distribute between Gosport Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council under the existing coastal management shared service arrangements, as appropriate.

The Chairman asked Coastal Partners to update members on the Alverstoke Flood Defence Scheme.

The Council remain committed to the much-needed improvements to sea defences at Alverstoke. There are 130 properties at risk of flooding here, over the next 50 years.

The devastating April flooding has confirmed the need for the scheme, and our thoughts are with those who are still recovering from this extreme tidal flooding event. Across our region some 192 homes flooded that evening, including 62 at Alverstoke.  

As reported at previous C&E boards, construction of the approved scheme was put on pause in September 2022 as we forecast there was insufficient budget to overcome issues with buried utilities, which sit under the proposed flood wall. With no additional funding forthcoming, the site was reinstated to protect the remaining budget.  The project remains on pause.

In November 2023 a bid was submitted to the Secretary of State for the Environment to close the funding gap. Following the April flooding the GBC Leader and Chief Executive wrote to Secretary of State to highlight our funding need. We have had no further update on our funding application nor have our colleagues at the Environment Agency.  

Since then, we have collated information following the devastating flooding event in April 2024, to strengthen our case for the additional funding to protect the community as well as the local infrastructure. We have started a review our scheme economic business case, as this will likely be the first step to secure any new funding.

Once additional funds have been secured it is expected to take 3 years to complete the scheme.  This will include amending the current design alignments, securing new licenses and consents and then construction.  A decision has not been taken with respect to managing the underground utilities, which can either be diverted landwards, or the defence alignment adjusted to avoid these. 

In the interim, we encourage the community to sign-up to Environment Agency Flood Warnings and to take steps to make their property as resilient as possible ahead of potential storm and flood events.

Members were advised that the Section 19 report will be brought to a Board once received.

Members hoped that short term mitigation for residents could be explored as the anticipated three years for completion of the scheme, once funded, caused anxiety for those in vulnerable properties.

A Member advised caution in raising expectations as nothing can happen until Government funding is secured