Discussions are underway between Adur District Council officers and the Sussex Yacht Club, opening the way to finally completing the town’s flood wall, council leader Jeremy Gardner reported at March’s council meeting.
This followed the yacht club asking for the path of a public right of way to be moved into what is believed to be its original position. This looks likely to be agreed in May and will impact on the plans to complete Shoreham’s flood defences next to the club.
The change will result in either two gates in the floodwall, one for the public right of way and a second nearby as the entrance to the club or what may be a simpler solution; a single gate for the site serving the right of way and the yacht club.
Any change to the original design would require work from both parties, so the Sussex Yacht Club will provide a list of indicative costs they believe they are due in exchange for accepting a single 12-metre gate solution.
Any funding requested by the yacht club would come to the council’s Joint Strategic Committee, meeting in public, for approval.
Below is drawn from the update given at the council meeting:
The Sussex Yacht Club provided evidence to West Sussex County Council (WSCC) on a proposed relocation of a public right of way, Stow’s Gap. As a result, the county council is due to inform the council of an updated definitive map relocating this right of way in May. The outcome is likely to be that a 12m wide right of way must be located at the current yacht club car entrance, likely to be agreed as the entrance to the public right of way.
Council officers met the representatives from the Sussex Yacht Club on March 10 to discuss the way forward. As we all appreciate, a wall is only as strong as its weakest point, and given that a 12m gate must be included at the right of way (subject to WSCC confirmation), it is clear that there is little logic in having a second 12m gate a short distance to the west.
Two 12m gates in close proximity might well be unsafe for the cars and pedestrians/cyclists and add risk to the integrity of the flood wall. Not having a second gate would also allow the yacht club additional space for car parking for their members.
At the meeting, the Sussex Yacht Club representatives confirmed that they would be open to a one gate solution. However, they reiterated that legally and contractually, they are entitled to a gate located in front of their new building in addition to the council’s legal and moral obligation to incorporate gates at the right of way. Given that any change to the original design would require work from both parties, it was agreed that the Sussex Yacht Club will provide a list of indicative costs they believe they are due in exchange for accepting a single 12-metre gate solution.
Given the huge public interest in this project, any additional funding requested by the yacht club beyond more than £3 million in public funds already paid to them, would come to the council’s Joint Strategic Committee for approval. This would give members and the public a view on any further costs to be paid to the Sussex Yacht Club to finally complete this project to protect homes and businesses.
The yacht club received more than £3m compensation for the loss of and rebuilding of their new clubhouse in 2019 as part of the agreement allowing the wall to be built.