Havant MP Alan Mak recently joined representatives from the government on a walk of the Hayling Billy Trail, inspecting flood defense work at Eastoke.
The local MP joined Natural England’s Area Manager, Fran Davies, on what may form part of the Portsmouth to South Hayling stretch of the new England Coast Path.
The England Coast Path, the biggest access project in a generation, is due to be completed in 2020 and will give unprecedented access and legal right to explore England’s beaches and clifftops.
Mr Mak took the opportunity of the Hayling Billy Trail walk to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing local coastal communities. The Havant MP was then shown the Coastal Defense Scheme at Eastoke, on the corner of Hayling Island frontage, which protects local communities and wildlife from coastal erosion and flooding.
In 2013, a £5 million project was completed to raise the profile of Eastoke Point beach against rising sea levels, reducing the risk of flooding for 1700 residential properties for over 100 years.
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