Please note, hyperlinks are embedded in this document. Just hover over them to be taken to the relevant web address.
1 Summary
The Environment Agency started public consultation in
2014 and completed their £32 million project to protect Lancing and Shoreham in
March 2019. Adur District Council paid Sussex Yacht Club £3.2 million for the
strip of land to construct Tidal wall flood defences. Adur District Council
have allocated £1.65 million for the construction of theTidal wall flood
defences at Sussex Yacht Club.
Adur District Council had their first meeting to consider a report on the flood
defences at Sussex Yacht Club on 7th July 2015. As of January 2025,
no construction work has been commenced.
2 Risk of Flooding
The risk is not just flooding in the future, due to
rising sea levels. The town is at risk with every Spring High Tide – especially
when combined with certain weather conditions and sea states. In December 2013 Shoreham suffered
severe flooding which damaged homes and businesses –
Shoreham is living with that risk of flooding RIGHT NOW!
Here’s some details of that risk, as identified by the Environment Agency;
Prior to the scheme, over 2,300 residential and 150 commercial properties in
Shoreham were at significant risk of flooding from overtopping or
failure of the existing flood defences.
It was anticipated that due to sea level rise, the number
of properties at significant risk of flooding from overtopping or failure of
the existing flood defences would increase to over 4,400 residential and 330
commercial properties by 2110.
The flood defences have therefore been improved to reduce
the risk or ‘likelihood’ of tidal flooding in Shoreham and east Lancing.
The height of the defences has been set to take into
account 50 years of predicted sea level rise.
All but one of the reaches of the Shoreham Adur Tidal Walls project were
completed in March 2019. The final gap is at Sussex Yacht Club –over six years
later work is yet to start on this final defence for the town.
3. Timeline
3.1 2014
and 2015 Environment Agency Consults the stakeholders on Designs
The Environment Agency’s website
says it “is working in partnership with West Sussex County Council and Adur
District Council to design and build the new defences”.
3.2 7th July 2015 – Adur Joint Strategic Committee Report
This report discusses the options for the construction of Tidal Wall Flood
defences at Sussex Yacht Club. In particular, public hards and public access
across Sussex Yacht Club land were listed as serious considerations.
3.3 July 2016 – Construction of Tidal Walls begins
3.4 7th January 2017 – Adur Joint Strategic Committee Report
(The
link is to the minutes of this meeting – see pages 6 and 7.)
1 delegated authority to the Director for Economy, in consultation with the
Executive Member for Regeneration, to make the necessary professional
consultancy appointments to negotiate both the purchase of the yellow land
shown on the plan, by way of an unconditional sale contract and the land shown
coloured green on the plan by way of a contract conditional on the Yacht Club
being able to obtain planning permission for the construction of the
replacement clubhouse from Adur District Council subject to all costs
associated with the project not exceeding the funding drawn down from the Coast
to Capital LEP and Environment Agency;
2 delegated authority to the
Head of Planning and Development, in consultation with the Adur Executive
Member for Regeneration to make a planning application for approval to demolish
existing buildings on the land acquired and construct a new flood defence wall;
3 delegated authority,
following a competitive tendering exercise, to the Head of Planning and
Development, in consultation with the Adur Executive Members for Resources
& Regeneration, to enter into a construction contract with the successful contractor,
to complete the flood defence wall, subject to all project costs notexceeding
the funding drawn down from the Coast to Capital LEP and Environment Agency;
4 agreed to amend the
2016/17 capital programme by £85,000 to fund the feasibility work outlined in
the report, which was fully funded by grant from the Environment Agency;
5 recommended that Adur
District Council include the Flood defence scheme to the Capital Programme in
2017/18 and 2018/19 which would be fully funded by grant from the Coast to
Capital LEP and the Environment Agency, as detailed in the report.
3.5 10th
May 2018 – Sussex Yacht Club Apply for Planning Permission
Decision Issued 5th March 2018
Demolition of existing clubhouse for Sussex Yacht Club and reconfiguration of
site including the erection of new clubhouse on south-east part of site with
car park to north-east part of site and boatyard and workshops/stores on west
part of site. Realignment of vehicular access, new pedestrian entrance from
west and associated landscaping and external works.
3.6 6th
June 2018 – Report to Joint Strategic Committee
Work reported as completed
by officers:
·
Detailed work to
identify the compensation for Sussex Yacht Club for the sale of their land and
replacement of their existing clubhouse.
·
The negotiation
of Heads of Terms and Draft Contracts for the sale of the land has been
successfully concluded with Sussex Yacht Club.
·
Sussex Yacht
Club appointing a full team of consultants to develop proposals for a new
clubhouse on the site. A planning application has been made to Adur District
Council for this element of the scheme.
·
The preparation
of detailed design and supporting information required for the flood defence
wall, including detailed design of a flood gate to provide required protection.
A planning application will be submitted shortly for the detailed design of
this flood defence.
·
Mott MacDonald
have been commissioned by Adur District Council to undertake a detailed flood
study and economic impact assessment which will be used to justify the amount
of financial support received from the Environment Agency from the scheme.
Plans were submitted at this
time. They included;
September 2021 - Work with WSCC and SYC to remove the public right of
way at Stowes Gap (this was attempted in 2023 and failed due to public
objection).
March 2022 - Completion of ADC’s flood prevention
works including demolition of existing Clubhouse and for completion of any
consequential works to be undertaken by ADC
At this time it was calculated that the scheme would cost £4.7 million. To be
funded by Coast to Capital and the Environment Agency.
3.7 Report to Joint Strategic Committee 31st January
2019
It was resolved that:
·
The Council
would pay Sussex Yacht Club £3.3 million for the land.
·
The Council
would demolish the former clubhouse.
·
The total cost
of the project was now £4.915 million.
·
That there was,
at that time, a shortfall of £778,070 in funding from the Environment Agency
and Coast to Capital. It was agreed that sum should be borrowed if further
funding was not forthcoming.
N.B. No changes to the
timetable for construction were considered at this meeting.
3.8 March 2019 –
The Environment Agency Complete works to all other reaches of
the Tidal Flood Defences.
This left a gap in the flood defences at Sussex
Yacht Club.
3.9 July 2020 - The Joint Strategic Committee agreed at its meeting on 7
July 2020 to give delegated authority to the Head of Major Projects &
Investment to make formal applications to divert the Public Right of Way at
Stows Hard and to seek the Stopping Up of a section of highway at the entrance
to SYC.
3.10 October 2020 - The section of public maintainable highway at the
existing entrance to SYC grounds was formally authorised to be Stopped Up by
the Secretary of State.
3.11 March 2021 - Order to divert RB3157 was made on 8th March 2021 from
the new entrance to a point opposite the existing site entrance. During the
formal consultation process two objections were made, primarily on the grounds
that the new route would not be convenient to those seeking to access the
River. On advice, it was decided not to progress the Diversion Order as this
would cause further delays to the project with no guarantee of successful
outcome
3.12 June 2023 Adur
Joint Strategic Committee agree to apply to extinguish RB3157
From the minutes of the June 2023 JSC;
The Adur Sub Committee of the Joint Strategic
Committee
1) Notes
the implications and processes associated with the extinguishment of RB3157.
2) Notes
that a further report will be presented back to the Joint Strategic Committee Sub-Committee
setting out the next key steps, necessary budget and timescales required to
deliver the Flood Defence project.
3)
Delegates authority to the Assistant Director for Regenerative Development to make
a formal application to extinguish RB3157 subject to a successful conclusion of
negotiations in relation to Byway RB3156 in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Regeneration.
4)
Delegates authority to the Assistant Director for Regenerative Development not
to proceed with the Diversion Order that was made on the 8th March 2021 in
respect of RB3157 subject to a successful conclusion of negotiations in
relation to Byeway RB3156 in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Regeneration
It was decided not to
continue with this stopping up order due to four objections being raised during
the consultation.
3.13 January 2024 – Joint Audit and Governance Committee consider “Risks and
Opportunities” report. HERE
is the link to the agenda reports pack. The relevant section is on page 87. Below
are the relevant statements from that section:
Risk - Provision of
flood defence walls on the Sussex Yacht Club site - Risk that if flood defence
walls are not built then there may be further flooding which will affect long
term investment and growth along the Western Harbour Arm regeneration area.
December 2023.
Latest Update - Consultation on Rights of Way extinguishment published Nov
2023. Challenges remain regarding extinguishments of Rights of Way as well as
Sussex Yacht Club being difficult and uncooperative in protecting homes and
businesses.
The latest assessment of the risk is that it is “WORSE”. Based on this analysis
the members of the committee resolved, as printed on pages 3-4 of the minutes HERE:
“Requested
a report on the current risk and plans to address that risk, with a timeline.
In particular, with further information relating to the line on page 87,
“Challenges remain regarding extinguishments of rights of way as well as Sussex
Yacht Club being difficult and uncooperative in protecting homes and
businesses.” That report should be delivered for consideration at the JAGC
committee meeting scheduled for 21 March 2024.”
See below for
details of this report …
3.14 - March 2024 Joint Audit and Governance Committee considers an officer
report on Sussex Yacht Club. THIS
is the link to the agenda, which is 1056 pages long. The Sussex Yacht Club
report is on pages 193-202.
Within that
report is this “Estimated Delivery Programme”.
6. Estimated Delivery Programme
|
ITEM |
FROM |
|
Submission of
Planning Amendments |
Spring 2024 |
|
Tender Pack issued
& returned |
Spring 2024 |
|
JSSC final approval |
Summer 2024 |
|
Award Contract |
Summer 2024 |
|
Contract
Mobilisation |
Summer 2024 |
|
Contract Period |
Summer 2024 - Winter 2024 |
|
Completion of Flood
Wall |
Winter 2024 |
3.15 September 2024 – Planning
application for Tidal Defences at Sussex Yacht Club approved.
3.16 October 2024 – Adur Officers confirm that the Tidal Defences at
Sussex Yacht Club will be completed by 28th February 2025.
3.17 December 2024 – Sussex
Yacht Club successfully challenge the location of RB3157. This challenge was
made to the “Planning and Rights of Way Committee” at West Sussex County Council.
Here is the relevant section from that report;
Recommendations
That a Definitive Map Modification Order under Section 53(2) in consequence of
an
event specified in sub-section 53(3)(c)(iii) of the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981,
to amend the position of RB 3157 on the definitive map and statement for
Worthing
to the position claimed by the applicant and specified on the report plan,
should be
made.