Alverstoke Coastal Defence Scheme

In 2015 the River Hamble to Portchester Strategy identified that low lying properties in Alverstoke were vulnerable and at significant risk to tidal flooding. Alongside Gosport Borough Council, East Coastal Solent (ESCP) Partnership presented their plans for new defences to protect the area from flooding.

It was in October 2017 that ESCP made a presentation to a gathering of local residents in Alverstoke, principally the Alverstoke Conservation Group. ESCP had identified 114 properties that were at "…a very significant risk of flooding…" and they had devised a scheme to prevent this from occurring. 

Their scheme, considered to be a high priority, consisted of building a 1.5m high wall behind the existing seawall and installing a pair of flood gates across Little Anglesey Road.

Local residents were not convinced and put forward an alternative proposal located at Jackie Spencer Bridge. This was considered by ESCP but rejected on the rounds of cost, technical feasibility, environmental considerations and not in line with Hold the Line Policy.

Objections from 35 residents and bodies such as The Gosport Society and The Anglesey Conservation Group did not deter GBC from granting planning permission by one vote in December 2020.

A scheme was prepared and tenders obtained with construction starting in January 2022 and suspended in June 2022, the reasons being inter alia the discovery of two high voltage cables.

Costs incurred were £205,000 with a total of £903,847 having been spent on the project over five financial years, most being on non-construction activities.

It was in December 2021 during Storm Barra that a tidal surge started to overtop the hump in Little Anglesey Road.

The Flooding of the village

On 8th April 2024, Floodline issued a flood warning as a storm surge was expected to increase the tide that night to a projected 5.75m with the following map issued showing the expected encroachment in to Alverstoke village: 

Despite the foregoing no effort was made to contain the expected overtopping in Little Anglesey Road and, as projected, the tide swept down Little Anglesey Road and into the village (photos courtesy of Ian Chapman). 

The result was devastating to those affected:

Source: Real-time/near real-time data display | National Tidal and Sea Level Facility (ntslf.org)

Going Forward

The scheme presented by ESCP is considered by many to be inappropriate and has been proven to be a waste of nearly £1m of taxpayers money.

There should now be an independent appraisal of a flood defence scheme with the Jackie Spencer Bridge option reconsidered by an independent body and a decision made on the most appropriate solution rather than the cheapest.

Raising the causeway and road by an agreed amount (say one third of a metre) should be considered to give cheap medium-term protection to the village. 

• Photographs showing the 5.0m tide on 17th October 2024

A projection of Stoke Lake in 2055 if the 1:100 year flood were to occur.