A new Flood and Coastal Erosion Management (FCERM) Strategy to guide how the frontage from Hengistbury Head to Hurst Spit, encompassing Christchurch Harbour, will be sustainably managed for the next 100 years.
Lead Authority
BCP Council
Budget
£525,000
Project start date
July 2021
Strategy Adopted
December 2025
Page Last Updated
18 December 2025
Christchurch Bay and Harbour FCERM Strategy Area
Climate change is putting significantly more properties, infrastructure and open spaces at risk from coastal flooding and erosion. Calculations have revealed that if we do nothing over the next 100 years, the coastal frontage will suffer around £1 billion in damages which includes erosion risk to approximately 1,600 properties and coastal flood risk to over 2,200 properties (homes and non-residential buildings). The figures are not designed to alarm but to help us evidence and justify doing something to manage the risks.
A new coastal strategy
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) and New Forest District Council (NFDC) worked together with the Environment Agency (EA) to produce a strategy for Christchurch Bay and Harbour. It identifies where, when and broadly what type of works are needed over the next 100 years to manage the risks of coastal flooding and erosion and roughly what they may cost. It also considers the effects of predicted climate change on coastal communities, including sea level rise and the increased frequency of storms.
- BCP Council’s Cabinet adopted the strategy in winter 2024.
- The Environment Agency’s Large Project Review Group reviewed and approved the Strategy in spring 2025.
- New Forest District Council adopted the Strategy in winter 2025.
As Coast Protection Authorities, BCP and NFDC do not have a statutory duty to undertake coast protection work, but we use permissive powers to protect the coastline and work with communities to help them adapt to future coastal change. In addition, along with the EA, BCP (as Lead Local Flood Authority – LLFA) has statutory responsibilities for managing flood risk; Hampshire County Council is the LLFA covering the NFDC area.
Christchurch Bay & Harbour Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy 2025
Summary document
PDF (9MB)
Christchurch Bay & Harbour FCERM Strategy Appraisal Report (StAR) 2025
Technical document
PDF (2MB)
StAR supporting documents & appendices
No document is larger than 7MB in size
The adopted Strategy enables us to bid for government funding to deliver viable and realistic coast protection schemes to implement Shoreline Management Plan policy.
In the meantime we are carrying out a programme of asset maintenance projects at Christchurch beaches:
Maintenance project delivery
Project title links below will take you to further information at our Asset Maintenance listing
| Start date | Project | Budget | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Gabion basket repairs at the base of Hengistbury Head cliff | TBA | TBA |
| Spring 2026 | Avon beach to Highcliffe beach maintenance works | £380,000 | Regional Flood & Coastal Committee |
Strategy area
The strategy area stretches immediately east of Hengistbury Head Long Groyne to the western end of Hurst Spit and encompasses Christchurch Harbour up to Tuckton Bridge on the River Stour and Knapp Mill on the River Avon.
We divided the coastal frontage into six Strategic Management Zones (SMZs), as shown on the Strategy area map above. These helped us to identify how we could manage the coastal flooding and erosion risks in each of the linked areas. The SMZs were further divided into a total of 18 Option Development Units (ODUs). These allowed us to carry out an options appraisal process to consider how the local requirements of each area could be addressed.
We also worked collaboratively with the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy team. This developing strategy borders our strategy area to the east. The two strategies are linked by Hurst Spit, an important coastal feature and landmark of the area. By working together, Hurst Spit can be fully integrated into both strategies.
Funding
Producing the Strategy development – In Autumn 2020, BCP Council successfully secured £525,000 of government Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) to produce the strategy on behalf of the partners. We appointed specialist technical consultant AECOM to help support this work.
Coast protection schemes – The adopted Strategy enables us to bid for government funding to deliver viable and realistic coast protection schemes to implement Shoreline Management Plan policy. Although there is no guarantee we’d receive 100% funding for schemes, it will help us to understand the level of partnership funding that may be required to deliver them.
Strategy development – engagement and consultation 2021-2025
From July 2021 to August 2023 engagement with key stakeholders and the public helped shape the Strategy. In total:
- around 16,000 users viewed our web content,
- over 8,500 people engaged with our social media posts,
- approximately 1,400 people came to our face-to-face and online events,
- 345 people completed a survey.
Overall, five separate engagements including one formal consultation (during the summer of 2023) supported the development of the Strategy. At each stage stakeholder and public feedback was considered and helped develop the Strategy. You can still listen to the full 80 minute public presentation presented on 27 June 2023, as part of the consultation; it is available at YouTube – Phase 5 Public Meeting. The strategy was formally assured by the EA and adopted by both BCP and NFDC councils.
Next steps
Under the current National Economic funding rules, the funding available from central government will not cover the full cost of new coastal defences. Upon adoption, a commitment was made to identify how funding shortfalls over the next 20 years can be secured. Rather than defaulting to the councils, this understanding gives clarity for seeking funding support from partners and / or impacted communities.
Coastal flood risk
Coastal properties, infrastructure and assets can be at risk from flooding i.e. during periods of high tides combined with storm surges and wave overtopping. Due to climate change, sea level is predicted to rise by 1.03m over the next 100 years. This will increase the risk of coastal flooding by making extreme coastal water levels higher and more frequent. Flooding caused by storm events is expressed in terms of an Average Return Period in years, calculating the frequency and intensity of past events. It describes the severity of a storm event and these can sometimes occur more than once in the same year. A large storm event that occurs on average once every century is referred to as a 1 in 100 year event.
Coastal erosion risk
Coastal properties, infrastructure and assets can be at risk from erosion, i.e. potentially being lost to the sea through shoreline retreat or land sliding. Shoreline retreat is where coastline boundaries change because of waves and tides, sediment supply, precipitation levels and the effect of groundwater. Sea level rise alone will also significantly increase the risk of coastal erosion. Our risk modelling data shows that if we do nothing and let nature take its course, our coastline would on average* erode by up to 1m every year.
*Cliffs in the strategy area are complex (influenced by both toe erosion and groundwater) and tend to undergo infrequent but large-scale episodes of retreat by cliff slips and landslides. The losses to this type of erosion are averaged out to give a yearly retreat figure.
Defending the coast
To reduce the effects of coastal erosion on communities and the natural environment, a combination of various defence structures and natural features can be used. These measures fall into two main categories:
- Hard engineering uses man-made barriers such as sea walls, groynes and rock revetments to reduce the impact of waves on the coast.
- Soft engineering techniques such as beach renourishment, dunes and saltmarsh creation use natural materials, features and processes to absorb energy from the waves.
Many successful coastal management methods combine both hard and soft engineering techniques. In each case the effects upon coastal processes and the natural environment are fully explored before management decisions are made.
Despite everything that can be done there will always be some locations where it is not possible or appropriate to defend against coastal flooding/erosion or maintain existing defences. In these cases, communities need time and support to adapt to changes. It is also important to note that although property insurance against coastal flooding can be purchased, there is no insurance currently available for coastal erosion.
Environmental considerations
Coastal management can have a significant impact on geological features, wildlife habitats, coastal processes, landforms and heritage features. The conservation of these habitats and features in a changing environment remains a key aspect in terms of environmental sustainability. Future management of the coast needs to allow natural habitats and features to respond and adjust to change, such as accelerated sea level rise. It must also comply with the legislation relating to important conservation designations protecting many habitats along the coastal frontage.
Poole Bay, Poole Harbour and Wareham FCERM Strategy
In 2014, the Poole Bay, Poole Harbour and Wareham Strategy was adopted by the Environment Agency and its partners to identify how coastal flood and erosion risks from Swanage to Hengistbury Head , encompassing Poole Harbour and Wareham would be managed over the next 100 years, with an emphasis on the years up to 2030. You can find out more about the schemes being guided by this Strategy as part of the Poole Bay Beach Management Scheme.
January/February 2026
Gabion basket repairs at the base of Hengistbury Head cliff
A 50-metre stretch of gabion baskets at the headland was repaired to replace aged and exposed wires and improve their performance in retaining naturally occuring falling cliff debris.
Given the site’s important environmental and scheduled monument status, the works, delivered by Earlcoate Construction, were carefully planned with the guidance of Hengistbury Head countryside and archaeological team, with vegetation carefully removed and kept for re-use wherever possible.
Spring 2026
Avon beach to Highcliffe beach maintenance works
Following a successful funding bid to the Regional Flood & Coastal Committee, a £380,000 programme of maintenance works is being planned for Christchurch beaches to strengthen the existing groynes and recycle existing beach material.
A Certificate of Lawful Use/Development was granted on 20 February Planning Application P/25/04730/CLP | BCP Register Tenders are now being sought and a project delivery plan is being developed. The works, supported by Christchurch Town Council and BCP Council are due to start in April 2026.
Our regular monitoring and beach level surveys will continue meanwhile.