Ventnor Coastal Defence Scheme

We would like to thank everyone who attended our Ventnor Coastal Defence Scheme exhibitions earlier this week.
We were delighted to welcome over 200 members of the community, including local councillors, who came along to learn more about the project, share their views, and meet the project team.

The team received some fantastic feedback and valuable insights, which will help shape how we continue to engage with the community as the scheme develops.

We are now in the process of analysing all the survey responses we collected during the events.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, the survey remains open until the end of April — you can find it by clicking on the Survey tab on this site.

Thank you again for your time, interest, and support!

The Ventnor Coastal Protection Scheme has been underway for some time, with a range of important investigations, trials, and planning activities taking place over the past few years.

This is a complex and long-term project, aiming to protect Ventnor’s community, infrastructure, and environment from the impacts of coastal erosion and land instability.

To help you understand where we are now and what’s been achieved so far, we’ve summarised the key progress and developments below.

The Ventnor Coastal Protection Scheme is a collaborative initiative led by the Environment Agency in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council. This project aims to enhance coastal defences along a 3.6 km stretch from Monks Bay to Steephill Cove, addressing the challenges posed by aging infrastructure and the region's unique geological conditions.

Key Developments to Date:

• Strategic Planning: Following the approval of the Strategic Outline Case in autumn 2021, the project has advanced to developing detailed options to refurbish or replace existing coastal defences and implement slope stabilization measures.

• Trial Dewatering Scheme: In mid-March 2024, Phase 1 of a trial dewatering scheme above the Western Cliffs was completed. Initial findings indicate technical challenges in using groundwater management to extend the lifespan of coastal defences. Ongoing groundwater monitoring and further analysis are underway, with results anticipated by September 2024.

• Ground Investigations: By late May 2024, ground investigation works at Wheelers Bay and Eastern Esplanade were finalized. Core samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, with results expected by mid-October 2024. This data will be integrated with previous visual inspections and coastal modelling to identify viable solutions for managing coastal erosion.

• Community Engagement: The project team has engaged with local residents and stakeholders through information pages and newsletters, providing updates and addressing frequently asked questions. Efforts are ongoing to ensure community involvement in shaping the project's development.

Next Steps:

The project will continue to analyse collected data to develop technically and environmentally sound, cost-effective, and feasible solutions for coastal protection. Findings and proposed options are expected to be shared with the community by Spring 2025.

For the latest updates and to subscribe to the mailing list, please visit the Ventnor Coastal Protection and Slope Stabilisation Scheme Information Page(External link).