Posted on November 12, 2025
As announced earlier this year, the Southsea Coastal Scheme will add around one million tonnes of shingle to the beach between the Pyramids and the Coffee Cup café in Eastney starting next month. Led by Portsmouth City Council and delivered by Coastal Partners and VSBW, this is the largest local authority-led flood defence scheme in the UK.
The extra shingle will form part of the new sea defences in this area. It will double the beach’s width, which reduces wave energy and prevents overtopping during storms. Access to the beach from the Pyramids to South Parade Pier will be limited from 1 October 2025, as the shingle is piped ashore and stockpiled ready to be moved along the beach.
The shingle comes from licensed dredging zones southeast of the Isle of Wight, selected to avoid sensitive habitats.
From 1 October, the beach between the Pyramids and South Parade Pier will be closed, and in mid-November this will be extended in stages up to the Coffee Cup in Eastney. The beach needs to be closed as heavy machinery will be used to place the shingle.
The promenade and local businesses will remain open, but there will be some localised road closures at The Dell. The beach will reopen section-by-section, starting at the Coffee Cup and progressively opening from the east end from mid-December. Limited access to the beach west of the pier is expected from January 2026.
Due to the tidal nature of the work, from mid-November, working hours may be outside of the normal hours of 7am to 7pm.
Additionally, work to extend the Canoe Lake outfall pipe by 60 metres out to sea just east of South Parade Pier will be included, with localised closures in place.
The work will be carried out over winter to minimise disruption. The shingle placement is expected to be completed by March 2026, after which work to rebuild the promenade and old sea defences will begin. The dates above are subject to weather conditions.
Amy Bandrés Arbués, project delivery manager at the Southsea Coastal Scheme said:
“This new beach will provide primary flood defence and can be easily maintained. By working through winter and opening the beach in stages, we aim to reduce inconvenience to users. We’re excited to fully reopen the beach before moving on to replace the existing sea defences.”
