Short List of Options

The Environment Agency and Isle of Wight Council are working together to manage coastal erosion and flood risk from the sea. Climate change is bringing more frequent and severe floods and storm events. The coastal defences in Shanklin include the sea wall and groynes. The beach also provides an important role by protecting the coastline behind it. The sea wall and groynes are in a poor condition and are reaching the end of their useful life. Without intervention the risk and severity of flooding and coastal erosion will continue to increase.

We have been looking at what we can do to manage coastal erosion and flood risk from the sea in Shanklin. We’ve narrowed down a number of options down to a short list of 5. Come and find out more about the options at one of our public exhibition drop-in events. Your feedback will help us to determine a preferred option.

They need further investigation to decide which, if any, we should take forward. We want to carry out a more detailed consultation, to hear your views on the options we have been investigating and your feedback will help us to determine a preferred option . We would also like your general feedback to help make sure we have considered all possible options before developing a design. The proposals will not eliminate the risk of coastal erosion and flooding, only lessen it. Our online consultation is running from Monday 23 October 2023 to Friday 1 December 2023.

The short list of options being considered:

Option 1: Do Nothing

Option 2: Do Minimum

Option 3: Keep the existing defence level

Option 4: Raise the level of the defence in stages into the future

Option 5: Raise the defence level now

We produced the following information for our public exhibitions to help explain what the scheme is about, what we have been doing so far and how we arrived at our short list of options:

• Introduction
• Scheme Extent
• Survey and Investigations
• Constraints and Opportunities
• Measures considered
• Project objectives and criteria
• Short list

You should review these documents before completing the consultation.

If you require these documents in a different format please don't hesitate to contact us: IOW_FDschemes@environment-agency.gov.uk

It is not a statutory requirement to consult on options for a coastal defence scheme. We would however like to understand the views and opinions of the end user, and recognise that this is good practice. The Environment Agency are running this consultation, and will do so in accordance with the guidance set out in the Government's Consultation Principles

If you have any queries or complaints about the way this consultation has been carried out, please email consultation.enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Why your views matter

From a survey we ran over the summer of 2022, you told us that it is a local priority to reduce flood and coastal erosion risk both now and in the future in Shanklin. We encourage you to submit your response to the consultation online, which will enable us to manage your comments more effectively. It will also help us to gather and summarise responses quickly, accurately and cost effectively. However, paper copies can be requested or are available at Shanklin Library.

We, the Environment Agency, will keep your details until the scheme is complete. We will publish a summary of responses on Citizen Space within 12 weeks of this consultation closing. We will not publish any personal data. We will not respond individually to responses. In line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we may be required to publish your response to this consultation, but will not include any personal information. If you have requested your response to be kept confidential, we may still be required to provide a summary of it. For more information see our Personal Information Charter(External link). We are running this consultation in accordance with the guidance set out in the government's consultation principles.

If you have any questions or complaints about the way this consultation has been carried out, please contact consultation.enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Public Exhibitions November 2023

We had a great turnout at our public exhibitions to showcase the short list of options for refurbishing the coastal defences. We were delighted to host nearly 100 visitors at The Clifton Hotel in Shanklin. Everyone who attended welcomed the opportunity to escape the wet weather, have a warm drink, and chat to the project team and other visitors to the exhibition. We also enjoyed Dinosaur Isle’s Blast from the Past event, where over 650 visitors passed through the doors. We want to thank everyone who took the time to come along.