Bembridge coast defence repairs needed to protect nature reserve

Sea defences separate Bembridge Harbour from Brading Marshes freshwater habitat

Coastal defences on part of the Isle of Wight need strengthening to prevent flooding of a protected nature reserve, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

Ground investigation works will take place in Bembridge where some defences are reaching the end of their life.

The EA said a breach could lead to tidal flooding of Brading Marshes.

The freshwater habitat is protected by law and its species would not tolerate the increase in salinity, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Work to understand the ground conditions and groundwater levels along Embankment Road on the edge of Bembridge Harbour begins next week with temporary traffic lights in place from 21 September to 6 October.

The EA is focusing on the area from Bembridge Sailing Club to St Helens sluice gates.

Similar investigation work is also being carried out in Ventnor.

According to the RSPB, Brading Marshes is a designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a "haven for a wide array of wildlife" including buzzards, little egrets, green woodpeckers and marsh harriers to butterflies, hobbies and red squirrels.