East Head Adaptive Management
East Head is one of the fastest moving sand and shingle spits in the United Kingdom, and one of the last surviving pieces of natural coastline in West Sussex. The sand dunes of East Head are important features at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, which are used for recreation by many thousands of walkers and tourists. East Head is owned and managed by the National Trust
East Head is an example of the nationally rare and fragile, yet dynamic, sand-dune habitat. Walk, play and sunbathe on one of the best beaches in Sussex, while up at the north end you can enjoy watching sailing boats and may also spot the occasional seal. It is also a very fragile environment.
The Hinge - the point of the dune system that connects it to the land is currently under threat. This is of great concern to local people and Chichester Harbour Conservancy, who has agreed the first steps to be carried out to reduce the risk of breaching the delicate part of the sand spit known as The Hinge. The document outlining these steps is the East Head Coastal Management Strategy.
The overall strategy is based on "Adaptive Management" which involves taking steps to achieve equilibrium between the sea and the land with a workable strategy to avoid a breach at The Hinge, and to maintain public access to East Head. The strategy is being developed and overseen by the East Head Coastal Issues Advisory Group (EHCIAG) who held a recent exhibition in West Wittering to explain proposed work on The Hinge.
Follow these links to read the documents displayed at the exhibition:
- Summary leaflet East Head Exhibtion handout
- EHCIAG Adaptive Management Action Plan V1
- Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy 2008
- EHCIAG Frequently Asked Questions
Coastal Management
A large part of the Manhood Peninsula is less than 5m above sea level and at risk from flooding, both inland and coastal. It is likely that climate change will increase this risk, through rising sea levels, rising water tables and increased precipitation intensity. Drainage is an increasing problem on the peninsula as the existing ditches are proving inadequate... Read More»
'Towards ICZM'
An Integrated Coastal Zone Management plan for the Manhood Peninsula area called 'Towards ICZM on the Manhood Peninsula' was adopted as capable of becoming a material consideration in planning decisions by Chichester District Council at a Full Council meeting on 20th September 2011. 'Towards ICZM' was recognised as an MPP document that reflects the views and aspirations of the community. Please see the link below to... Read More»
Coastal Change Films
A number of films were produced on behalf of the MPP by CoastNet as part of the Coastal Change Pathfinder Project. Three films were about coastal governance on the Manhood Peninsula, and four short films explored the coast from a young person’s perspective. The films about coastal governance were developed as a complementary suite of three. They looked at why the... Read More»