100-year-scheme launches to protect thousands of Sussex homes from flooding
60 Olympic Size swimming pools worth of shingle will be shifted on Pevensey Bay each year to deal with climate change impacts
A new scheme's launching today hoped to protect Sussex's coast from rising sea levels for the next century.
Up to 18,000 homes along 8.5 kilometres of Pevensey Bay will be protected, as thousands of tonnes of shingle is moved.
It amounts to 60 Olympic Size swimming pools worth of shingle being shifted from East to West every single year.
Plans will be re-assessed during the time-frame so they can be re-worked to deal with any challenges brought up by climate change.
Beach manager Paul Levitt said:
"Climate change is happening and we're a pilot scheme in many ways.
"We're one of the biggest schemes in the country and this hundred year plan gives us that foresight to be ready for the sea level rises and and the more extreme frequent weather events that we're getting on the beach."
The project was previously managed privately, but now has been handed over to the Environment Agency.
When asked whether the plan would affect the view of the beach, Paul reassured: "Everyone around here loves that beach and so we minimise that as much as possible.
"For example, when we mobilise for the winter season, we will delay that as much as possible., towards the back end of September going into October so that we minimise people's quiet time on the beach.
"Our aim is to include the Community as we go, listen to all their concerns and work with them."
He advised residents to attend an event taking place between 1pm and 3pm today (27th June), at the Pevensey Sea Road Car Park where you'll be able to ask questions to their team.