Worthing’s timber beach groynes are saved for now

Worthing Borough Council originally sought funding to replace the timber groynes with rocks and would have paid £4.8 million towards the costs with the Environment Agency paying the remainder.

The structures, which protrude from the beach and into the sea, protect and retain beach shingle which slows losses on the shore.

But when the outline business case for the ‘Worthing Coastal Protection Scheme’ was submitted to the Environment Agency for review in 2019, ‘large issues’ were identified. The EA said the project may not be ‘economically viable’ and may not gain funding.

Jim Deen (Lab, Central) previously criticised the original plans and claims that the council ‘wasted money’ on a consultation to replace the sea defences.

He said: “I have been trying to find out how much was actually spent on consultants.”

Mott MacDonald was appointed to prepare the outline business case in 2016.

In November 2019, councillors agreed £500,000 of funding for a groyne design contract.

Mr Deen accepted that the timber groynes ‘had become not as effective as they should be’ but criticised the former replacement plans.

He said: “Everyone accepted that the groynes had become not as effective as they should be.

“The main defence on the beach is actually the pebbles themselves and replacing them is actually a major part of the process. So if you do all those things together, they should be able to hold for ten years.