Sailing groups and businesses are concerned about the Environment Agency’s coastal strategy affecting Lymington navigation.
Groups met with the Environment Agency at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. These groups dislike the idea to move back the sea wall because this rollback concerns local marine businesses. They think Lymington River could become difficult to navigate.
The plan includes maintaining Hurst Spit briefly. After ten to twenty years, nature takes over. A group called Save Lymington and Keyhaven, which includes many organizations and sailing clubs, also criticized this part.
Rupert Wagstaff, who leads the Lymington Harbour Advisory Group, thinks the plan hurts the Lymington River area. According to him, the plan does discuss the effects enough. Don Mackenzie of the Lymington Society is against the plan because he thinks it is too expensive and that the reasons are wrong. He fears the sea walls will be neglected.
Mackenzie warned about flooding risks, believing surges could easily flood Lymington, like before the sea wall existed. The proposed changes in Pennington raise concerns. Stopping Hurst Spit maintenance worries people because southwesterly waves could hit Lymington directly during strong storms.
An area called Jetty-Butts protects the coast. The plan involves salt marsh creation, but people worry that protection from this area may disappear due to coastal defense changes.
Sam Mitchell works for Wightlink, a vital link to the Isle of Wight, and is most worried about river navigation safety. He mentioned that changes affecting safety could shut down the route, which hurts the island’s population greatly.
Dylan Kalis, who works at Lymington Yacht Haven, explained they sent customers a letter about their worries because current sea walls lack funding. He stated that damage from a sea wall breach could be severe, and washout poses major risk.
Lymington councillor Barry Dunning, who is also a mooring holder, spoke out, believing that spending on birds is prioritized. He is afraid about the harbor’s safety, and the spit’s potential breach worries Dunning a lot. Dunning stressed the need for Hurst Spit.
Paul Moxey from Hurst Castle Sailing Club agrees, stating that the spit can be protected and that civil engineering can easily defend it. Dominic May, who works at Berthon Boat Company, thinks the river channel could silt up, leading to hard navigation. He also mentions it could ruin sailing programs for kids, where many Olympic champions came from.
The economy of Lymington could suffer, as sailing is important for businesses. May warned that jobs would likely be lost, and he is objecting to the plans, representing many businesses and people.
The Environment Agency provided a reply, saying their strategy uses something they call an “adaptation pathway.” They stated that this approach ensures flexible flood management options because plans adapt to changing conditions. The agency regularly monitors sea levels and risks, so flood management adapts quickly. They said this avoids acting too early or too late, and this strategy will save costs over time.