Work on the first frontage of Phase 1 of the Southsea Coastal Scheme will commence in September 2020. The work will then be phased along the seafront, with the last section being completed in 2026.
The plans for state-of-the-art new coastal defences in Southsea were given the green light in June 2020 with the award of nearly £100m of funding to the project.
The scheme will stretch for 4.5km from Old Portsmouth to Eastney, and will help to reduce the risk of flooding from the sea to more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses.
Current defence levels only offer limited protection from coastal flooding and are reaching the end of their existing life- some date as far back as World War II).
The existing structures have residual lives of less than 10 years, with two major failures in recent years. The predicted effects of climate change will increase the risk of flooding further over this century.
Funding from the Environment Agency was the final hurdle the Portsmouth City Council project had to overcome and work is now set to start on site later this year.
The Agency is supporting the Southsea Coastal Scheme with £97.8m of funding following on from planning permission being granted in December and final approval from HM Treasury.
The Scheme is being delivered through the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership on behalf of Portsmouth City Council.
The project team worked closely with the Environment Agency on a local as well as a national level to secure approval, despite the demands placed upon central government finances. The scheme is the culmination of seven years of work including wide ranging public consultation to help develop and shape the scheme.
VSBW, a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster has been appointed as the main contractor for delivering the new sea defences.
A partnership of Royal HaskoningDHV, LDA Design and Atkins has prepared the detailed engineering design for the Southsea Coastal Scheme.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.