The Environment Agency, working on behalf of the Isle of Wight Council, will repair and replace coastal defences in Ventnor and Bonchurch.
These repairs will better protect about 3000 homes and businesses at risk of coastal erosion and tidal flooding in Ventnor and Bonchurch.
Ventnor sits at the bottom of the largest urbanised landslide complex in north-west Europe. Without the seawall and other coastal defences along the seafront, coastal erosion would create instability to the landslide complex and cause property damage in Ventnor and surrounding villages.
Ground investigation work will take core samples of the current defences and the ground beneath. This will help inform the options for the repair and replacement of the coastal defences.
Dave Gaskell, Community Liaison Officer at the Environment Agency, said:
“Ground investigation work will begin on Monday 4th September and will last for approximately 18 weeks. Specialist equipment will be used to drill boreholes and dig trenches along the esplanade. During this time access to the esplanade between Wheelers Bay and Horseshoe Cove between will be closed to the public. An alternate diversion using public footpaths will be advertised on our website. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this will cause.
“Refurbishing and replacing some of the coastal defences means they will better withstand extreme weather like we’re already starting to experience because of climate change. Looking ahead, the sea defences must be refurbished in a way that makes them more resilient to sea level rise and increased storm severity, so they continue to protect the community.”
The failure of the seawall at Eastern Cliff Esplanade, in Ventnor, in November 2022 highlights the need for further investment in the Ventnor defences. As a result of the ongoing emergency works, the project to refurbish the seawalls has been accelerated by the Environment Agency.
Alongside the ground investigation works, the Environment Agency will also be doing a groundwater pump test. This will involve installing subsurface monitoring equipment and an abstraction borehole on Ventnor’s Western Cliff. The results of this investigation will provide information about whether groundwater management is a viable option for stabilising the slopes.
