Update on Environment Agency coastal strategy
It is well known that over the last few years flooding and coastal erosion have been playing increasing havoc with our very special local coastline, with the destruction of beach huts at Hordle Cliff a vivid example, as well as damage to Hurst Spit following recent storms:
The 'Hurst Spit to Lymington Flood and Coastal Risk Management Strategy' is being developed by the Environment Agency with New Forest District Council and several other organisations, which has been considering a number of management options for long term flood defence, and held public exhibitions last autumn.
There is a lot of concern about the option currently preferred for Hurst Spit and 'rolling back' the sea wall, which in the view of a number of key local people could eventually see Lymington River silting up, with ramifications for navigation, sailing, and ultimately the whole marine economy.
Introduction
The Hurst Spit to Lymington Flood Management Strategy is a long term flood defence plan for the next 100 years which is being developed by the Environment Agency with other organisations including New Forest District Council.
The background to it can be found on the hurstspit2lymington website here; the Strategy Overview page explains the objectives, area covered, and the 'management units' which are shown below - it's obvious that what happens in one unit will impact others.
News updates can be found here https://www.hurstspit2lymington.co.uk/strategy-news (where it is also possible to sign up to receive a quarterly newsletter by email).
Significant engagement with residents, local organisations, stakeholders along with extensive research and assessments have been promised.
Starting point: the options for Hurst Spit
Rollback with minimal intervention
It was revealed that the favoured plan for Hurst Spit was to allow it to ‘Rollback’ with minimal intervention, which eventually would cause Hurst Spit to breach. You can read the full EA presentation of its findings if you go to the news page on the website, and click on the Public Exhibition Boards - Draft Pathways Autumn 2024, which will download a large pdf.
https://www.hurstspit2lymington.co.uk/17734/widgets/79848/documents/73658
Implications for Lymington River
As Brian and Dominic May of Berthon Boat Company advised at this point:
'Lymington and Berthon Marina are located in the Lymington West region; however, it is the Jetty-Butts and Oxey-Pennington area strategy that gives us significant concern. The ‘Rollback’ and breach of Hurst Spit will allow south westerly wave action to roll directly towards Lymington during gales, and Lymington is currently protected from this by the orange area, Jetty-Butts & Oxey Pennington, which sticks out into the Solent.
The proposed ‘Managed Realignment with Saltmarsh Creation’ with artificial breaches in the sea wall (see below diagram), will allow the grazing land behind to flood, with a new sea wall much further inland, creating a new inter-tidal marsh for wading birds displaced from the existing mudflats which will rapidly disappear once Hurst Spit breaches.
"With Hurst Spit permanently breached, and with the sea wall at Jetty-Butts and Oxey-Pennington also breached, this will leave Lymington badly exposed to strong south westerly winds and winter storms. We fear that this has not been taken into consideration and would cause huge harm to Lymington and the surrounding area. Our strong recommendation would be to ‘Hold the Line’ of the current sea wall and build the embankments up over time in keeping with increases in sea levels. The Environment Agency reports that ‘Hold the Line’ is also 1/3 of the cost of the ‘Managed Realignment with Saltmarsh Creation’."
The formation of SLAK, and meeting with the Environment Agency
Berthon along with the Royal Lymington and Lymington Town sailing clubs, Keyhaven Yacht Club, Hurst Castle Sailing Club, Wightlink, Lymington RNLI, Lymington Yacht Haven, formed a campaign group to 'Save Lymington and Keyhaven' - SLAK.
The group met with the Environment Agency at Royal Lymington Yacht Club where Lymington Harbour Advisory Group chairman and Yacht Haven representative, Rupert Wagstaff, said: “We think the managed realignment strategy will significantly impact the Lymington River and the Salterns area, but these effects are only superficially discussed.” Don Mackenzie of the Lymington Society pointed out that “If it did ever take place, it brings the likelihood of flooding; and the wind-driven surges coming through the newly created salt marsh makes Lymington much more vulnerable to flooding like it was before the sea wall was built.”
Other representatives who made additional points included Wightlink - silting up of the river would affect its safe navigation and shut down the Lymington Yarmouth route; Lymington Yacht Haven - lack of continued funding for the existing sea walls would lead to breaches and untold damage; and Barry Dunning, district and county councillor and longstanding mooring holder, who put it bluntly: “It seems ridiculous to me that we spend a fortune on looking after birds and all the nature out there and yet we’re not concerned about this harbour. This harbour will be in danger if the spit is breached and that’s a major concern.”
Dominic May reinforced that implementation of the strategy could result in Lymington River channel silting-up, making navigation problematic; this could destroy Lymington’s children’s sailing programme, which has produced many Olympic medallists and world champions including Sir Ben Ainsli. It could also undermine Lymington as a sailing destination, leading to redundancies and weakening the economic prospects of dozens of businesses that relied on the marine economy.
Mr May said: “I am objecting to the plans on behalf of Berthon Boat Company, and its subsidiaries Lymington Marina, Berthon New Yacht Sales, BHG Marine, & Versadock, our 1,000 customers, our 150 employees, our 25 apprentices, our 205 local Lymington suppliers, our 300 local sub-contractors, and our 4,631 suppliers nationwide.”
Response of the Environment Agency: we are listening - and it's a long term process
In response, the Environment Agency has made an assurance that ongoing feedback will be listened to. Claire Francis, the EA's southern coastal risk manager, said “We are not recommending any immediate changes,” she said. “We’re certainly not suggesting that anything should change in terms of the current management or maintenance of Hurst Spit.”
Whilst the EA has recently purchased over 160 hectares of land around the village of Keyhaven, a key location for enabling the creation of new coastal habitats and grazing marshes, it is keen to reiterate the pathways are still draft and continue to welcome the views of local communities and interested groups ahead of a full public consultation in summer 2026.
A big concern for the local groups is the perceived lack of action in the short term, especially that funding for existing defences will dry up while the long term strategy is developed.
Ms Francis insisted this will not happen and also that the EA will adapt its approach taking all information into account.
Also that regarding aspects like dredging and salt marsh recharge, some of this work has not yet been done, that the EA will continue to engage with SLAK and other groups throughout the process, and encourages interested parties to participate in the Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Ongoing public input and engagement is welcomed to help shape the strategy!
While the formal consultation on the strategy is set to take place in summer 2026, the EA has stated that it welcomes ongoing communication.
Send your comments to
The project website will also be regularly updated with news, events, and other information. Updates will be published at www.hurstspit2lymington.co.uk - and as above sign up for updates.
The Advertiser & Times is also inviting everyone to have their say on its letters page - email
Berthon Boat Company Ltd
A family run international marine business based on the western bank of Lymington River. Working from state of the art purpose built boatyard and sales facilities, it caters for all aspects of boat maintenance from engineering, rigging to spray painting, welding & joinery for Government agencies, commercial marine operators and the marine leisure markets. Berthon has 300 deep-water marina berths and offices in the UK, USA, Spain and Scandinavia offering new and brokerage yachts sales and local marine services. The Company has been trading continuously for over 140 years employing 150 in the UK alone with a further 35 overseas;
With the support of BHG Marine and VERSADOCK, Berthon also provides a range of branded marine products such as floating pontoons, Gemini RIBs, AB inflatables including AB JETS, Rigiflex, Linder, and is the #1 Yamaha dealer in the UK.
Please contact Ellie Brooke-Smith at Berthon via email on
