The Isle of Wight council invite you to have your say. Ed
The Strategy coastline includes the towns of Yarmouth, Cowes, East Cowes, Freshwater, Totland, Colwell, Newport Harbour, and surrounding areas.
The public consultation opened 31 March and will run to 30 June 2016 and is an opportunity for people to learn about the proposals that have been put forward to manage future coastal flood and erosion risks to the West Wight shoreline.
Preferred approaches for future coastal risks
The ‘West Wight Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Strategy’ recommends the preferred approaches needed to reduce or adapt to future coastal risks.
It includes proposals for future priority schemes and examines how they could be funded.
Flood protection schemes
The priority schemes recommended by the Strategy include flood risk reduction in Cowes, East Cowes and Yarmouth, with proposed use of Temporary Flood Barriers and Property Level Protection measures.
Future Schemes will be developed using the new ’partnership funding’ approach, which seeks funding from a wide range of sources.
The Isle of Wight Council Executive member for public health, public protection and PFI, Councillor Phil Jordan said:
“We are very interested to know the views of the public about this proposal which forms part of our commitment to ensure that, with risks set to increase in the future, it is important to develop our priorities for future risk reduction for the Isle of Wight’s coastal communities.
“It is important that people in the community have their say and are able to ask any questions during the consultation period so I would encourage the public to do so.”
Find out more and have your say
Two ‘drop-in’ roadshows will be held, one in Yarmouth, one in Cowes, for the public to attend, view the proposals and ask questions. Each will be held over an afternoon and early evening. The dates will be advertised soon on the Coastal Wight Website.
You can download a copy of the Strategy and a Summary Report from the Isle of Wight council Website – and there is also an online questionnaire for you to submit your comments.
Alternatively please email:[email protected] or contact the Isle of Wight Council (Tel 01983 821000)
The closing date for responses to this consultation is 30 June 2016. Unfortunately no responses received after this date can be considered by the Council.
The funding
Future coastal and flood defence schemes will be developed within the government’s ‘Partnership funding’ system, which combines public and private funding contributions.
In February 2015 public workshops were held which shaped the early development of the Strategy. Since then, the work has been developed based on the latest national guidance, and the Draft Strategy has now been published for a three-month period of public consultation in Spring 2016.
Image: © Isle of Wight Council
