Plans Submitted to Create Saltmarsh Habitat at Apuldram Meadow

Plans to alter coastal defences at Apuldram Meadow to create a saltmarsh habitat have been submitted to Chichester District Council.

The application, put forward by Chichester Harbour Conservancy, seeks permission to remove the concrete facing from a coastal embankment and realign a public footpath.

The work is part of the Fishbourne Footpath to Nature Recovery project, which aims to provide a footpath resilient to climate change while creating up to five hectares of new saltmarsh habitat.

The footpath was closed in 2022 following damage to the sea wall. Realigning it along higher ground within Apuldram Meadow would restore public access and support nature recovery.

Saltmarshes serve as vital nurseries for fish, feeding grounds for birds, and natural flood defences.

Since 1945, hard structures such as sea walls have contributed to the loss of 58% of saltmarsh within the Chichester Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest.

A 2021 review by Natural England downgraded the condition of the site to “unfavourable declining,” with the footpath realignment recommended in a 2023 feasibility study.

The application can be viewed at the council’s planning portal by searching 25/01160/FUL.