Short-term phase (2025 - 2027)

Protecting communities from the risk of coastal flooding and erosion is our highest priority. Beach management, which helps keep homes and businesses safe in Pevensey Bay, will continue during the short-term phase, from June 2025 to 2027.

Beach management background: 2000 - 2025

8.5km of beach in Pevensey Bay, East Sussex, has been managed by Pevensey Coastal Defence Limited (PCDL) since the year 2000. Key activities include importing sediment and moving thousands of tonnes of shingle by dumper trucks to fight the forces of nature along the Sussex shore.

Beach management by PCDL has been carried out in accordance with a 25-year Environment Agency contract, which is called a Flood Defence Service Agreement (FDSA). This was the first sea defence project in the world to be funded as a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

PCDL has delivered a high level of flood protection over this timeframe, and no significant flooding has occurred over the last 25 years.

The FDSA has effectively protected homes, businesses, transport links and services from coastal flooding and erosion.

The orange line on the map above shows the 8.5km beach managed by the FDSA. It stretches from Sovereign Harbour in the West to Bexhill in the East on the South Coast of England.

Short-term Phase Overview 2025-2027

Seafront at Pevensey Bay looking east from junction of Val Prinseps Road and Norman Road

The PCDL contract concluded at the end of May 2025. Since June 2025, the Environment Agency has taken over management of the 8.5km Pevensey frontage, with our contractor, VolkerStevin, carrying out operational beach activities. Additionally, the new Pevensey Beach Managers - Paul Levitt and Amber Carr - will lead day- to- day beach operations.

Beach managers Paul Levitt (left) and Amber Carr (right)

This Short-term Phase will continue to provide the same Standard of Protection as the last 25 years for the Pevensey Bay community. The coastal defences are designed to withstand a really extreme storm - which has only a 0.25% chance of happening in any given year, without a breach. They also prevent significant water flowing over the defences in an extreme storm - which has only a 0.5% chance of happening in any given year.

We are managing the beach in a similar way to PCDL, you may notice more workers on the beach but there will be little difference in the activities which include:

Shingle reprofiling

Shingle is moved by machinery to reshape the beach after waves have removed it, to ensure the beach crest remains wide enough.

Recycling

Shingle that moves due to longshore drift temporarily builds up in some places so it is moved back along the beach in large dumper trucks.

Bypassing

This means moving shingle by road in dumper trucks around Sovereign Harbour.

Recharging

The shingle lost from the beach is replaced using the Sospan Dau dredger to add shingle from offshore to the beach.

Beach surveys

This involves monitoring the size and shape of the defences to decide when beach management work is required.

We will continue to proactively engage with local residents and community including the Pevensey Bay Coastal Community Group. 

Throughout the Short-term phase (2025-2027) Eastbourne Borough Council will continue to manage the beach between Holywell and Langney Point.

We will align with plans for the medium- term phase as they develop and when the Medium-term Phase starts in 2027, the Eastbourne and Pevensey Bay coastal frontages will be combined and managed together under one project.

If you would like to know more about this phase of the project, please email PevenseyandEastbourneCoast@environment-agency.gov.uk