A drive along the A27 in a few decades' time might see a wildly different scene to the one we see today – with the tide covering parts of beauty spots such as Farlington Marshes, and Hayling Island being a smaller land mass.
It comes as a major consultation began last month on how the Solent coastline will be defended over the next 100 years.
Dozens of concerned Hayling residents made their way to Havant's Civic offices, on February 9, to look at the draft proposals for Chichester and Langstone Harbours (see below), over the next 100 years.
Twelve local authorities in the Solent area have banded together to come up with a blueprint for how the coast might be defended.
The North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is one of 25 blueprints covering the entire English and Welsh coastline that will need to be submitted to the government later this year.
Some shorelines should not see any change, whereas others, particularly around Langstone and Chichester Harbours, may have to be realigned, according to the report.
Ultimately, council leaders say it boils down to money.
Experts have decided most of the Portsmouth area – including Portsea Island – should continue to be defended by maintaining or improving sea defences, largely because the economic value of the city is too high for any of it to be lost.
But funding cannot be guaranteed for this and some less "economically valuable" areas, including some of Hayling's agricultural land - and wildlife habitat could be lost in the never-ending battle for limited government funds.
Andrew Colenutt, SMP project manager, said the importance of the existing defences could not be underestimated.
He said: "In the Solent, the land is very low-lying and the flood risk is considerable.
"If you take the defences away, alreadyaminimum of 50,000 homes would be flooded.
"The sea defences are protecting 50,000 properties straight away – and that's the minimum.
"We've not really got much room to move back and retreat inland."
Mr Colenutt described Farlington Marshes as a "hot potato" out of all the coastal areas as there was a frenzy of debate over its future.
In 100 years' time, experts say the area might have to retreat as funds cannot continue to be thrown at maintaining its sea walls.
He said: "I think we know that something will need to happen at some point in the future, but it's not easy to say at the moment exactly what or when.
"Everybody knows Farlington is not sustainable to keep as it is.
"If you spend £1million on defences, you have to protect at least £1million of property or land.
"While agricultural land is important, it may not be as economically valuable as an industrial estate or residential area."
Allowing land to flood, however, is a legal minefield and wherever a designated wildlife habitat is lost, it will need to be recreated elsewhere.
One staggering fact about the Solent, and why people are being encouraged to have their say, is that more than 60 per cent of the shoreline is privately-owned and most of this land has privately-maintained defences.
Councillor Jenny Wride, who heads coastal management for Havant Borough Council, said: "I think to a large extent, it's the owners of a property being prepared to step up and not expect the local council to be able to attract funding to protect every mile of coastline.
"It will be for landowners to stop and decide what's going to happen to their property, whether they hold the line or realign. It's a very important consultation."
But Cllr Wride said there was no need to buy sand bags to protect your home from being inundated with water.
She added: "We are not anticipating losing or having to move any dwellings. 'We are committed to holding the line."
Yet, Cllr Wride admitted we all might have to face up to the fact that land could be lost – especially if we are to believe experts who warn the sea will be more than three feet higher in 100 years due to further melting of the polar ice caps.
She said: "It'll be a constant battle. In an ideal world, we would not want any of our coastline to flood. But we can't hold back the tide.
"There will be some hard decisions to be made."
Hold the line or do we withdraw?
HAVANT Borough Council's strategy with the Environment Agency is to make four recommendations for each affected area of coastline.
They are:-
Hold the line – maintain or upgrade the level of protection provided by existing defences
Advance the line – build new defences seaward of existing defences
Managed realignment – allow retreat of the shoreline with management to control or limit movement
No active intervention – not to invest in providing or maintaining defences.
Hayling Island is awaiting for its own protection plan to be drawn up, which the Enviroment Agency has promised to start work on later this year.
So far these are the areas identified by the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) and the Government's likely attitude to providing funding.
- Emsworth Yacht Haven to Maisemore Gardens: Town of Emsworth. Maintain existing shoreline. Funding uncertainty.
- Maisemore Gardens to Wade Lane: Cemetery, farmland. Maintain shoreline; some managed realignment. Funding is unlikely.
- Wade Lane to Southmoor Lane: Homes, Budd's Farm. Maintain shoreline. Funding uncertain.
- Langstone Bridge to Northney Farm: Homes. Maintain shoreline. Funds uncertain.
- Northney Farm: Farmland. Managed realignment. Government funding may be secured.
- Northney Farm to Mengham: Homes, golf course. Managed realignment after 50 years. Public funding may be secured.
- Mengham to Chichester Harbour: Homes. Maintain shoreline. Funding is likely.
- Chichester Harbour entrance to Langstone Harbour entrance: Homes. Maintain shoreline. Funding is likely.
- Langstone Harbour entrance to North Shore Road, New Town: Homes. Maintain shoreline. Funding uncertain.
- North Shore Road, New Town to West Lane: No work planned, but maintain defences for Newtown. Funding is unlikely.
- West Lane to Langstone Bridge: Maintain shoreline, with managed realignment of Stoke and West Northney. Funding possible.
To comment on the SMP you can download forms at www.northsolentsmp.co.uk
They are also available at council offices in Havant and public libraries.
