Isle of Wight Coastal Defence Schemes Information Page

Overview

• Welcome and overview
• Embankment Road (Bembridge) Coastal Defence Scheme
• Yaverland Coastal Defence Scheme
• Shanklin Coastal Defence Scheme
• Ventnor Coastal Defence Scheme

Welcome to the Isle of Wight Coastal Defence Schemes Information Page.

The Environment Agency have created this page to provide easy access to information on the schemes on the Isle of Wight. The Environment Agency will be updating this site as the schemes progress, so please keep checking for what’s new.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive updates on the projects, please email us and let us know which projects you are interested in. 

Please see individual scheme pages for Frequently Asked Questions. 

The Environment Agency, in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council, is looking to refurbish existing coastal defences to reduce the impact of flood and coastal erosion events around the Isle of Wight coastline. Four priority areas have been identified through the Isle of Wight Shoreline Management Plan 2 (2010) and subsequent studies undertaken by the Isle of Wight Council. These documents tell us where it is appropriate to maintain the existing defence line, and where ageing and deteriorating defences are an issue. The four priority areas in need of initial investment are:

• Embankment Road (Bembridge) 
• Yaverland 
• Shanklin
• Ventnor

The Environment Agency have established that there is a case for some public investment in flood and coastal risk management infrastructure at all four priority areas. The Environment Agency have done this by submitting high level business cases (a ‘Strategic Outline Case’) for each location to its internal assurance group. For Yaverland and Shanklin, approval for these early business cases was received in summer 2021. For Ventnor and Embankment Road (Bembridge) approval was received in autumn 2021. Having validated the need for investment, the Environment Agency is now progressing to the next stage of business case development, which is to develop more detailed options for each location. 

The overarching objectives are to:

• reduce coastal flood and erosion risk to people, property, infrastructure and designated habitat
• build on the work already undertaken by the Isle of Wight Council in their overarching Strategy/Study*, explore the scheme choices raised and confirm and deliver a preferred Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management option for each priority area that is technically, economically and environmentally sound, affordable now and in the future, and is adaptable to changes in future climate
• investigate and incorporate, where feasible, wider Isle of Wight Council initiatives, such as regeneration and tourism objectives and deliver broader outcomes, maximising the opportunities presented by Partnership Funding
• investigate and incorporate, where feasible, measures to contribute to the Environment Agency’s 5 Year Action Plan (EA2025) to improve the natural environment
• provide an investment structure to enable partner organisations to commit to funding contributions for delivery of the schemes.

* The linked Strategy/Studies are:

Isle of Wight Shoreline Management Plan 2, 2010

Eastern Yar flood and erosion management strategy; December 2010

The Isle of Wight Council has undertaken further studies on the Sandown Bay and Ventnor frontages which have identified the priority scheme locations and contributed to the early business case stages.

Be prepared for flooding

Please continue to be prepared and resilient towards flooding by signing up to receive advanced warnings of flooding. Register by calling Floodline 0345 988 1188, or visiting www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings. If you are already registered to the Floodline Warning Service, please check if your details need updating by visiting www.fws.environment-agency.gov.uk/app/olr/login

Back to the top