Bournemouth, Christchurch, Eco & Environment, Poole, Swanage | Posted on March 30th, 2026 | return to news
Three south west councils work towards flood prevention
Dorset Council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and East Devon District Council are working together.
Dorset Council is to join forces with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and East Devon District Council (EDDC) in working to prevent flooding and coastal erosion.
In May 2024, EDDC was the first to join BCP in a new South West Flood & Coastal (SWFaC) shared service hosted by BCP Council.
Cllr Andy Hadley, BCP Council Cabinet member for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said: “Our team in BCP has worked hard on protecting people, their property and our coastline from flooding and coastal erosion. The shared service has enabled us to deliver a range of high-quality FCERM projects by making best use of central government funding.
“Having Dorset joining BCP and East Devon will strengthen this service at a time when the work they do has never been more important. It will increase our ability to monitor our changing coast and to access more investment, deliver climate resilience for our residents and reduce reliance on external consultancy support.
“People living in Dorset, East Devon and BCP will benefit from an increased ability to bid for grant funding to deliver more projects and better long-term protection across the South West; whether they live in Seaton, Swanage or Southbourne.”
Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Place Services, Cllr Jon Andrews, said: “As this winter has shown, Dorset is already feeling the impact of more frequent and more intense weather events, and we must act decisively to protect our residents, our economy and our coastline.
“By joining this shared service, we are strengthening our flood and coastal defence services and increasing our access to experts and national funding.
“Being a full partner strengthens collaboration with neighbouring authorities and the Environment Agency, enhances community resilience and ensures a more consistent, well-resourced service right across Dorset.”
EDDC portfolio holder for Environment, Cllr Geoff Jung, said: “With our common coastal protection and flooding concerns, a joint service between ourselves in East Devon together with Dorset and BCP councils makes perfect sense.
“The joined-up approach and combined expertise have already proved to be a great benefit to East Devon District Council.
“The broader expertise within the shared service will bring further benefits to protecting both people’s properties and our ‘World Heritage’-designated coast from the challenges of our changing climate.”
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