Work begins to repair West Beach, Hayling Island

The erosion at West Beach, South Hayling, is a result of the recent strong winds and heavy rain and has resulted in steep ‘cliffing’ along the back of the beach.

A very steep drop of up to 2 metres can now be seen, therefore as a precaution, pedestrian barrier fencing has been temporarily erected.

A full planned programme of work will begin later this week to level the beach to a safer sloping angle.

Havant Borough Council is warning visitors to the seafront to keep away from the damaged section of the esplanade.

Councillor Tim Pike, Cabinet lead for Finance and Regeneration, which includes Coastal Management, said: “This area of the esplanade is a dangerous place at the moment as parts of the beach are unsafe. For the safety of our residents and visitors we have put barriers in place to block access to the area affected but we are unable to prevent access via the beach due to the tides.  Please respect the power of the sea and ensure that everyone, including dogs, are kept away from this section of the beach.”

Havant Borough Council and the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership will continue to monitor the beach and defences in line with the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (2010) recommendation to a ‘hold the line’ policy and to allow natural evolution.

For more details on the history of West Beach visit https://www.escp.org.uk/history-west-beach

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