Beach Huts at risk and sea wall collapse

There is currently a level of concern relating to the sea defences at Milford on Sea and the future of the beach huts at Hordle Cliffs and Westover.

Photo: Pete Linnington
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A recent article by Jon Waller at the Advertiser & Times highlights a number of issues following the sea wall collapse at Westover, near The White House at Milford on Sea.

Photo: Slipflight Ltd
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To read the full article, please click here.

Hordle Cliff

Also mentioned in the article are the beach huts at Hordle Cliff which have been cordoned off for some time and remain in danger due to the continual cliff erosion.

Naturally, many of the beach hut owners are concerned what will be done to resolve the situation.

Milford on Sea's beaches are covered by the policies set out in the Poole & Christchurch Bays Shoreline Management Plan, adopted back in 2011. There is quite a lot of reading.

• Hurst Spit (2 to 5km): Hold the Line, short and long term
• Milford-on-Sea to Hordle Cliff (5 to 7km): Hold the Line, short term and long term
• Hordle Cliff to Barton Common (7 to 9.5km): Do Nothing short term, Selective Retreat long term 

Interestingly, the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) sets an aspiration for managing the coastline, it is not a statutory document and is not linked to funding. So even a policy of hold the line does not mean that funding is available to deliver a scheme. Sadly, this does not bode well for the Hordle Cliffs beach huts.

To read the full Poole & Christchurch Bays Shoreline Management Plan, please click here.

To read the section that relates to NFDC coastline, please click here.

Photo: Ian West
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To add further to the understanding of the geological activity, scientist Ian West writes a detailed study and analysis about Milford on Sea on the University of Southampton website.

You can read his findings by clicking here.