Natural England (NE) are still working on the national King Charles III coast path including the section west of Emsworth.  One stretch awaiting finalised plans runs between the sea end of Warblington Road and into Nore Barn Woods.  Hundreds of local people use this stretch regularly but several times a year high tides mean many turn back rather than paddle or wade along the flooded path.  The nearby bridge into Nore Barn Woods also floods regularly.

NE has come up with various designs since 2019 to address the flooding problem, but their latest plans show a new boardwalk extending the path from Warblington Road, plus strengthening and lifting the nearby bridge over the Nore stream. The path approaching this bridge, from both sides, is planned with a raised hoggin surface plus 40 gabions supporting handrails alongside.

Boardwalks are a type of ‘soft engineering’. They are not permanent and will gradually be eroded.  Is this the best way to deal with this path, especially the part with houses behind? Why not extend (by 25 meters) the existing 1960’s concrete raised path that currently runs westward along the foot of the seawall from the end of Warblington Road?  Is it because that would be ‘hard engineering’?  Why is that considered unsuitable here?

NE should note that the existing raised concrete path works and additionally protects the seawall behind. But any boardwalk section added would eventually be eroded, be unattractive in the meantime and make access from the sea difficult for swimmers and sailors as well as making any repair needed on the seawall virtually impossible. Should Natural England go back to the drawing board for this stretch?

For the latest plans from NE see http://maisemoregardens.co.uk/England%20Coast%20Path.html 

Authors note:

.  I led a local team (SWUP Solent Way Upgrade Project) working on plans for this stretch of path.  We started plans on it at the end of 2015.  We were granted £46,000 CIL money towards this work (which is still there) but NE said in 2017 that they would take over the project to save us applying for planning permission…. Our original plans didn’t have ‘soft engineering’ or gabions…  NE’s latest plans are currently with the Secretary of State awaiting his decision.  If you want to know more details about this stretch of path from Natural England 2019, their original description is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d8ccd7eed915d5569b5dba0/south-hayling-east-head-report-2.PDF