Purpose

This
item seeks approval of the Outline Business Cas (OBC) for the Swanage Beach
Coastal Protection Scheme and authorisation to submit the OBC to the Environment
Agency’s National Project Assurance Board in order to secure the required
external funding.

Content

(a)  That
the Swanage Beach Coastal Protection Scheme outline business case be approved.

 

(b)  That
the budget allocation within the Capital programme and as detailed in Table 1.0
section 7 of the report,be
approved.

 

(c)  That
the Outline Business Case be submitted to the Environment Agency’s National
Project Assurance Service.

 

(d)  That
the draw-down of all external Flood Defence Grant-In-Aid and Local Levy funding
be authorised, on an ongoing basis throughout the duration of the project.

 

(e)  That
authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Place in consultation with
the Section 151 Officer and Cabinet Member for Place Services, to procure and
award the works and associated professional services.

 

Reason for the decision

 

·      
Scheme delivery was required to provide
resilience against coastal erosion and flooding.

·      
National flood funding rules change on 1 April
2026, the outline business case must be submitted before 31 March 2026 to avoid
the risk of extensive rework, delays, and additional costs under the new
requirements.

·      
The outline business case setting out the
£4.987m project required cabinet approval before it could be considered for
external funding.