Long Term Loss of Beach Material from the Eastern English Channel

Pevensey Bay, on the English Channel coast of East Sussex is the site of a unique sea defence project. In 2000 Pevensey Coastal Defence Ltd (PCDL) entered into a 25 year contract with the Environment Agency (the Agency) to provide sea defence services along part of the East Sussex coast. The Agency is part of Defra, the United Kingdom government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and has a strategic overview role for all flood and coastal erosion risk management. It is also an operating authority in its own right, having permissive powers to undertake works to manage flood risk. Whilst having these powers, the Agency does not in general have a legal obligation to provide flood defence.