Sea defence scheme to cost £4.5m more than planned

A computer generated image of how the extended beach in Hove will look

Councillors are being asked to approve an extra £4.5m for an ongoing sea defence project due to rising costs.

Brighton & Hove City Council initially set aside £6.5m to rebuild sea defences at Southwick beach, and to build new groynes and replenish shingle on the beach between the King Alfred leisure centre and Second Avenue.

In a meeting later, cabinet members will be asked to increase funding to £11m due to "rising global costs and availability of materials and resources".

Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport and public realm, said the scheme was "vital for the city to safeguard homes and businesses from coastal flooding and protect our local economy for decades to come".

Work has already been done to build a protective layer of rock next to Basin Road South and a new sea wall near the Hove Deep Sea Anglers Club as part of the wider Brighton Marina to River Adur defence project.

'Substantial sum'

The phase of work from the King Alfred will begin in September and is set for completion by May next year.

Work at Southwick will start next year and finish by April 2027.

Mr Muten said: "By taking action now, we will help make our city more climate resilient and able to adapt to increasing storms, extreme rainfall and rising sea levels."

He went on to say that although additional £4.5m was "a substantial sum", it would help to support the area's tourism industry, which he said was worth £5bn.

"We are a seafront destination, with important business hubs and transport links based around Shoreham Port and the A259 coast road," he said.

"It is also densely-populated, so this is an investment to protect our city, our residents and local businesses from flooding for the long term."