The latest round of funding from West Sussex County Council saw a project from Bersted Parish Council awarded the highest amount ever given by Operation Watershed, £233,698.
The project will focus on stabilising a section of the banks of the Shripney River to prevent the bank slipping which could cause flooding to properties up-stream of the river and the nearby A29.
The project will also replace the existing culvert to increase the water flow capacity and reinstate the footbridge to allow for access and easier maintenance.
To ready the application for funding a substantial amount of pre-work was required which was funded by Bersted Parish Council and Arun District Council at a combined cost of approx. £35,000.
Speaking about the Bersted project, Cllr Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “We are grateful for the hard work and additional finances Bersted Parish Council have put into bringing this project to us and Arun District Council also for their support in providing a contribution towards funding the pre-application work.
“The collaborative efforts of the local councils and community are a testament to what Operation Watershed is all about, working together to bring about solutions.
“I’m particularly pleased that not only will the project protect the local area from flooding, but it will also have a positive environmental impact through associated works taking place to improve watercourses connected to the Aldingbourne Rife. Native hedgerow and grasses will be planted and new ditches will contribute to improving the habitat within Bersted Brooks.”
Cllr Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Whilst the land that is part of this project would be classed as being riparian, which is the responsibility of the landowner, we have recognised the importance of addressing these issues before they have a knock-on-effect to local residents and council-owned land by awarding the funding required to carry out the works.
“Highway drainage from the A29 outfalls into this section of the Shripney River. A bank slippage could mean that this section of an important road within the county would flood and impact nearly 400,000 vehicle movements a month.
“I’m glad that we were able to work with the landowner, Bersted Parish Council and Arun District Council, to develop a plan to protect the local area from potential flooding.”
As well as the Bersted project, between April 2024 and August 2025, Operation Watershed has awarded £603,957 to 13 projects which support local community led schemes to reduce the risk of flooding to properties, businesses and the highway.
These Funds have supported schemes to deliver local community led drainage improvement work which contributes directly to our Council Plan priority of building a sustainable and prosperous economy. The works include:
- Highway drainage improvements – increasing capacity, upsizing assets and building additional assets
- Improvements to riparian water courses – increasing capacity to open ditches and culverted (piped) watercourses, building headwalls, installation of trash screens and bank stabilisation
- Improvement to attenuation ponds
Parish and town councils and community and volunteer groups within West Sussex can apply for funding for projects they can deliver themselves. For more information and to apply visit our website at Operation Watershed - West Sussex County Council.
