Coastal Strategy News

Coastal Defence Strategy for the River Itchen, Weston, Netley and River Hamble

Work on developing the strategy options has produced a first draft which was available for public comment in April. The original proposal was for the policy options for coastal defence to be finalised and published for consultation in August. Unfortunately, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, it will now be necessary to carry out additional unforeseen work, to assess the potential impact of the coastal strategy proposals on the adjoining sites designated for the protection of certain habitats and species.

Formal approval from DEFRA for the carrying out of this additional work is currently awaited. Once this is received it is anticipated that the study will be completed early in 2008 followed by completion of the necessary final adoption procedures.

Southampton Approach Channel Dredge Scoping Study

Associated British Ports (ABP) Southampton proposes to improve the vessel accessibility to the Port of Southampton. The proposal which is referred to as the Southampton Approach Channel Dredge (SACD), involves deepening and widening of the navigation channel at various locations through Southampton Water, as well as additional dredge locations within the Solent and  lowering/replacement of the pipelines across Southampton Water in the vicinity of Fawley.

• Read the Dredge Scoping Report  pdf

Although not directly related to the strategy the works will potentially have an impact on ecology environment and coastal protections issues.

The council has made the following comments to ABP

It is noted that approximately 10million m3 of in situ material will be dredged, with significant channel deepening and widening in large areas including sections adjacent to Netley and Hamble.  Pipelines and cables may also need to be moved as part of the proposals and the report states that planning permission may be required from the Council in relation to any landside works.

The scope of the EIA identifies many potential issues including impacts on:

1.       Physical Processes

2.       Water and Sediment Quality

3.       Nature Conservation and Aquatic Ecology

4.       Fish and Commercial Fisheries

5.       Commercial and Recreation Navigation

6.       Marine Archaeology

7.       Coast Protection and Flood defence

8.       Noise, Vibration and Disturbance

9.       Terrestrial Ecology

10.   Air Quality

11.   Landscape and Visual Impacts

The Council comments are as follows:

Nature Conservation

We are pleased to see that the Southampton Channel Dredge: Scoping Study (Report no. R.1358, ABPmer, July 2007) identifies and scopes out many Nature Conservation issues that require further study and assessment. Eastleigh Borough Council relies on Natural England and the Environment Agency for expert advice in relation to sites of international and national nature conservation importance and we are pleased to see that these organisations have been consulted on the proposals. The Council would like to take this opportunity to suggest that the following additional issues should be included in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Study.:

• We agree that the proposals are likely to have a significant affect on the international interest features of the designated nature conservation sites within the Solent, particularly Solent & Southampton Water SPA/Ramsar. However, a significant omission appears to be the possible indirect loss of SPA habitat through ‘slippage’ of subtidal and intertidal habitats into a widened and deepened channel. This should also be investigated and modelled. Since the original dredge in 1997 there has been acceleration in the reduction in beach levels along the Eastleigh frontage of Southampton Water.  There has also been a significant loss of storm beech shingle reducing the protection to soft cliffs and coast protection defences. The reduction in height has increased coastal squeeze and therefore impacted on the size of the Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site. Changes to subtidal and intertidal levels as a result of the dredge may affect erosion rates of the soft cliffs around Netley which form part of the Lee-on-the Solent to Itchen Estuary SSSI. Impacts should be investigated and modelled.

• The indirect affect of increasing the need for sea defences to protect areas of the coast should also be assessed in relation to the interest features of the SAC, SPA/Ramsar, SSSI and non-statutory sites e.g. Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs). This should also be investigated and modelled.

·         The EIA should identify and survey to NVC levels any SINCs or existing/proposed BAP habitats which may be indirectly or directly affected by the dredge or associated landside works. This level of information is required to inform an effective baseline data set and to inform mitigation measures.

·         The EIA should identify and consider biodiversity enhancements that could be achieved as a result of the proposals.

·         The EIA should make reference to the actions for the Solent Coast & Hamble Estuary Priority Area identified in the Eastleigh Borough Council Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) (published 2002).

• Read the Eastleigh Borough Council Biodiversity Action Plan

Sea Defences

• The loss of sea defences would also seriously affect the viability of habitation of the adjacent properties to which the current shoreline management plan recommends a hold the line policy. The proposal to further increase the depth of the channel would therefore exacerbate the lost of beach. I would therefore ask that consideration be given to mitigation or compensation for the beach lowering and the maintenance of the size of the SPA and the protection of the adjacent properties.

Noise impacts

• There is potential for significant noise impacts for local residents.  Information on noise impacts and a Noise Management Plan to identify impacts, their management and reduction should be include