Strategy News and Updates

Following feedback from the public exhibitions held in the Autumn on the Draft Pathways, we are starting fortnightly community drop-ins at venues in Milford on Sea and Lymington starting Wednesday 7 May.

Team members will be on hand to answer any queries or clarifications relating to the Strategy, or just pop in and say hello and meet the team, the more the merrier! All sessions 10am-1pm, no appointment necessary.

Please help us spread the word, email the team for hard copies or click the link to download a poster to share. Hope to see you soon.

Keyhaven Land Purchase

The Environment Agency has recently purchased over 160 hectares of land around the village of Keyhaven, a key location for enabling the creation of new coastal habitats and grazing marshes. The land forms part of the wider Kingwell (Aubrey) Limited Natural Capital Scheme.

The purchase of the land meets a key part of the Environment Agency’s Habitat Compensation Restoration Programme that covers Hampshire and Sussex. The aim is that the Keyhaven area will gradually transition from a predominantly arable farming landscape to one that benefits from an extensive area of managed habitat creation through a combination of the habitat compensation work and the Natural Capital Scheme.

The site will remain in some form of agricultural use for at least five years and the Environment Agency continue to work closely with Kingwell and project partners including the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy team to ensure the best outcomes for residents and wildlife. Please refer to frequently asked questions for more information.

Throughout November the team shared the draft proposals for the coastline at a series of in person and online events, we have received lots of feedback on the Draft Pathways and have been working through all your emails and responses.

The team have also been approached by the Save Lymington and Keyhaven (SLAK) Group and recently met with representatives to listen to their concerns, colleagues will be meeting with them again in March. The team continue to take on board comments and hope as the Strategy progresses, further information will help alleviate concerns raised.

We are keen to reiterate the pathways are still draft and continue to welcome the views of local communities and interested groups ahead of a full public consultation in summer 2026.

First year Reading University students heard first hand about the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy yesterday. The 110 Geography and Environmental Science students were in Lymington to study the lagoons and flood defences as part of a 3 day field trip in the area, it was good to hear their views about the Strategy.

Over 180 local residents have attended the exhibitions to date to view the proposals for the coastline. There is still time to call in and speak to the team with two more events on Friday 22nd, 12:30-4:30pm at All Saints Church and Tuesday 26th, 10am-3pm at the Lymington Masonic Hall.

Throughout the month of November, the Strategy Team are holding a number of roaming public exhibitions in the Strategy area, this will be an opportunity to present the Draft Pathways for each of the nine Management Units to local residents and groups.

Call in to speak to the Team about the proposals, there is also an online presentation session.

For more information or to register for the online session, please email hurstspit2lymington@environment-agency.gov.uk

We'll be at Hurst Castle this Saturday celebrating World Monuments Watch Day. Come & talk to us about the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy & our autumn public exhibitions.

Enjoy free entry to the castle, as well as heritage trails, children’s activities, talks on local history and wildlife, and historical re-enactments including 19th-century musket-firing demonstrations.

10am - 5.30pm

Free, no booking required. Ferry charges apply. We hope to see you there!

The coastal footpath around Moses Dock will be closed 16th September for approximately five days due to repairs to a small section of the coastal embankment that has slumped on the landward side during the tidal storm last month. A temporary diversion has been put in place.

Year 6 students at Milford on Sea Primary School recently created seven life size sculptures from beach and forest litter, all carrying an environmental message chosen by the students. A member of the Environment Agency Team was able to join the students on the sculpture trail and hear first hand about the environmental themes but of particular interest were the three sculptures at Keyhaven demonstrating the predicted rise in sea level in 80 years time. For more information about the Sculpture Trail visit Victoria Waller website, the project based on Antony Gormley’s ‘Gamechangers Project’ will be in place until 1st September.

In June the Team were lucky to hear from 60 Year 8 students at Noadswood Secondary School. After receiving an overview of the strategy and exploring different habitats, understanding the flood risk, and discussing different stakeholders involved. Students were asked questions including, what would their top two priorities for the area be and what are their hopes and aspirations for the future of the coastline?

The students gave us really good feedback on the session and several responses included;

“Protect the coast and teach young people how to do the same"

"Make sure habitats and homes are kept safe"

"Stop climate change and sea level rising"

“To find a sustainable solution in order to save natural habitats”

The end of May saw 35 representatives from a range of local groups and organisations attend one of two focus groups to explore the four Leading Option for Hurst Spit. In summer 2023 the Team exhibited Leading Options for the Strategy, which included three options for Hurst Spit, however following further input from stakeholders a fourth option was suggested for consideration. The focus groups were an opportunity to inform those in attendance about the possibilities around the future management of the Spit and hear their views and aspirations.