Shoreline Management Plan

The shoreline at Stokes Bay is maintained by Gosport Borough Council in a partnership called the East Solent Coastline Partnership.

Details of the partnership agreement here:
Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership Agreement

The Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership (ESCP) formed an alliance in 2012 to deliver a combined, efficient and comprehensive coastal management service across the coastlines of four Local Authorities of Fareham Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council. Havant Borough Council and Portsmouth City Council.

The overarching vision of the ESCP initiative is ‘to reduce the risk of coastal flooding and erosion to people, the developed and natural environment by encouraging the provision of technically, environmentally and economically sustainable coastal defence and protection measures’.

A Shoreline Management Plan is a non-statutory policy document for coastal defence management planning. It takes account of other existing planning initiatives and legislative requirements, and is intended to inform wider strategic planning. It does not set policy for anything other than coastal defence management.

The accepted plan for Stokes Bay, Titchfield Haven to Gilkicker, is ‘Hold The Line’.
Under this plan, defence structures will need to be maintained and upgraded to provide flood protection to residential areas, commercial property, MOD assets, infrastructure (such as Stokes Bay Road), and amenity open space. In terms of beach management and recycling operations, the frontage is considered as a single management area and will benefit Hill Head, Lee-on-the-Solent and adjacent frontages, with possible beach recycling from Gilkicker Point. Coastal monitoring will be key to the successful management of this frontage.

Storm Katie at Stokes Bay
Storm Katie (March 2016) at Stokes Bay (Credits to original photogrpaher)
Damage to the promenade
Damage to the promenade by Storm Katie at Stokes Bay
promenade storm damage
Undermining of the promenade due to Storm Katie. Scouring has removed the shingle from the beach leaving the foundations exposed and causing the frontage to lean towards the sea.

December 2019
ESCP reported that Maintenance repairs to a section of seawall and splashwall at Stokes Bay, Gosport have now been completed. The work was carried out by JT Mackley & Co Ltd and took six weeks to complete.

February 2020
More storm damage to the promenade at Stokes Bay by Storm Ciara.

December 2020
Further undermining of of the sea wall has occurred. Temporary work was carried out to shore up the car park in Stokes Bay to protect the Promenade and road. Alverstoke Councillor, Mark Hook said, “Plans are underway to provide a more substantial repair. Gosport Borough Council and Hampshire County Council are seeking Local Levy grant funding to take forward these studies, which would commence in 2021/22 and the works required are expected to be significant.”

July 2021
Stokes Bay Seawall Replacement
Sea Wall Damage Sea Wall Damage Sea Wall Damage
Update from Coastal Partners
Following the successive storm events of Brendan, Ciara and Dennis in January and February 2020, damage to a substantial section of the seawall was sustained. Damage consisted of severe voiding under the promenade, settlement of the seawall, uplifted promenade slabs, collapsed sections of the cobbled area, open joints and fractures throughout the defence, increasing the risks of wave overtopping and structural failure. The promenade and car park are currently fenced off for health and safety reasons.
In December 2020 shingle was deposited over the damaged sections, voids were filled, and material was placed seaward to protect the failed coastal structure.
Gosport Borough Council own these defences and have responsibilities for their maintenance. The proposed repair works will replace the failed section of coastal structure, promenade and protect the Stokes Bay Road and associated infrastructure.
Financial contributions for the works have been secured from Hampshire Highways and the GBC Community Board – Non-Housing Capital Programme. This was approved by GBC Full Council in February 2021.
Milestones:
Detailed design – Summer/Autumn 2021
Stokes Bay East Planning Application Submission – Autumn 2021
Production of Construction tender documentation – Autumn 2021
Stokes Bay East Seawall Construction – Spring 2022
Opening of the Alver Bank East Car Park and promenade – Summer 2022
Source here:

http://www.escp.org.uk/Stokes-Bay

The Projects, maintenance and repairs for Gosport coastline is explained  here:
https://coastalpartners.org.uk/authority/gosport/

There is a priority need to improve the existing defences at Alverstoke as they currently only provide a 1 in 20 year standard of flood protection. This is not high enough to meet sea level rise predictions. This scale (the Annual Exceedance Probability or AEP) is related to the scale of the flooding and the chance that it might happen. A 1 in 20 year flood event has more chance of happening than a 1 in 100 year event. 
The new defences are designed to protect against a 1 in 100 year until 2060. Whilst the probability of flooding may seem quite low in any one year, the effects have been devastating in the past where the required level of flood protection has not been in place. 
114 properties in Alverstoke are at present day risk from a 1 in 100 year flood event. This is expected to increase to 130 properties by the year 2060. The flood risk area extends 550m from the location of the new defences for a 1 in 100 year flood event.

Update:
The scheme to the improve flood defences at Alverstoke commenced in January 2022 but for funding resaons was aborted with the footpath reinstated. There is no information about when this scheme will restart..

Download the leaflet here:
https://coastalpartners.org.uk/static/media/resources/alverstoke-booklet-final.pdf
The scheme explained here:
https://coastalpartners.org.uk/project/alverstoke-coastal-defence-scheme-152