Selsey campsite protected by £15m coastal defence

• 22nd Nov 2011

Holidaymakers keen to go camping on the south coast may be pleased to hear that a £15 million coastal defence is set to protect Selsey's beachfront properties.

The West Sussex town is a popular caravaning spot, with campers contributing a significant amount of money to the local economy. According to BBC News, the Environment Agency (EA) has now started work on constructing the four-mile sea defence system.

Ben Cooper, councillor for Selsey, claimed the camping industry brings in £50 million each year and the town's population doubles in summer when holidaymakers spend time there, making the improvements vital.

An EA spokesperson said: "It has taken us a long time to get where we are. We have worked very, very closely with the local community to develop a scheme which will provide significantly improved protection to the west of Selsey."

It is not just Selsey that is seeing the benefit of new coastal defences; nearby West Wittering will also be better protected thanks to a £1.8 million project and Chichester MP Andrew Tyrie has praised the progress made.

According to the Chichester Observer, he claimed it is an indication of what can be achieved if a community pulls together to solve a problem, since local residents have been active in getting the long-awaited initiative off the ground.