Strong Community Conversations – Coastal Community Group Success

Engagement through The Bay Coastal Community Group continues to be a key part of how we shape the Shanklin & Yaverland Coastal Defence Scheme.

The group was launched in September 2025 to create a dedicated space where residents, businesses, councillors and community representatives can speak directly with the project team. Since then, we have successfully held two meetings, with the most recent taking place in February 2026.

These sessions have provided an open and constructive forum to discuss the scheme’s progress, raise questions, share local knowledge and explore concerns or opportunities together. Having these conversations early and regularly helps ensure the project is informed by local experience and reflects what matters most to the people who live, work and visit the Bay.

Feedback and discussion from both meetings have been extremely valuable. Community insights are helping us refine how we communicate, think about access and local impacts, and plan future engagement as the design continues to develop. The group also plays an important role in building trust and transparency as the project moves forward.

We are pleased with how positively the group has been received and how collaborative the discussions have been so far. A third meeting is planned for Summer 2026, and we would very much welcome new members who would like to be involved.

If you are interested in joining The Bay Coastal Community Group or finding out more, details are available on this page.