Adur communities await decision on major river recovery plan

Technology & Science Desk 2026-10-28 16:34 3 min read

Colorful boats docked on the River Adur in Shoreham by Sea, UK.

A proposed £42 million government allocation could support wetland restoration, fish passage and flood resilience across 760 hectares of the Adur Valley, from Shoreham to Knepp. The funding is not confirmed: the Adur River Recovery partnership is working towards an implementation agreement with government. If that agreement is secured, delivery is planned over nine years, with work intended to begin in spring 2027.

The plans combine changes at specific sites with a wider effort to connect habitats across the valley. They include about 56 hectares of new coastal saltmarsh at Pad Farm, proposed changes to river barriers that obstruct fish migration, and new woodland and hedgerows. The partnership projects that the programme would improve water quality, support nature recovery and help mitigate flooding and drought.

Restoration plans cover river, floodplain and estuary habitats

The partnership brings together farms, estates, conservation organisations and local councils to support recovery across floodplains, wetlands and saltmarsh. The 760-hectare area stretches from Shoreham to Knepp, linking work along the river with habitats around the estuary.

Pad Farm is a council-owned site on the western bank of the River Adur, just north of the A27. The proposed saltmarsh would add habitat for wildlife around the estuary. Elsewhere, plans include the strategic removal of four major weirs and a 900-metre channel to bypass a structure that currently obstructs fish migration. These measures are intended to improve fish passage through the river.

Adur communities await decision on major river recovery plan

Woodland and hedgerows would help connect habitats, giving wildlife routes between areas to find food, shelter and mates. The intended benefits are projected outcomes; the source does not report that the works have begun or that those improvements have already been achieved.

Estuary supports resident and migratory birds

The Adur Estuary, around Shoreham and stretching from Adur Ferry Bridge to Cuckoo Corner, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Its saltmarsh and mudflats provide feeding, shelter and breeding grounds for resident and migratory birds.

At low tide, oystercatchers, little egrets, ringed plovers and lapwings forage across the exposed mudflats. At high tide, grey herons, snipe, redshanks and linnets can shelter among the saltmarsh. The proposed habitat work is intended to strengthen these environments as part of the wider recovery of the river and estuary.

Funding decision remains the next step

The government has indicated willingness to allocate £42 million through Defra’s Landscape Recovery scheme. That indication marks progress, but the amount has not been confirmed and the project still needs an implementation agreement before planned delivery can move ahead.

Adur and Worthing Councils are project partners, and Adur is also a landowner through Pad Farm. Councillor Andy Harvey, Adur’s cabinet member for environment, said the partnership would continue working towards securing the funding and delivering the plans.

The proposed start in spring 2027 and nine-year delivery period are both conditional on the agreement. The next confirmed milestone is therefore the project progressing towards that agreement with government.

Source: Adur and Worthing Councils News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source and checks

This report follows the Adur and Worthing Councils announcement and keeps the proposed funding and delivery plans conditional.

Checks

Distinguished the government’s indication of willingness from confirmed funding.
Kept the proposed 760-hectare project area and restoration measures tied to the announceme...
Retained the spring 2027 start and nine-year delivery period as plans subject to an implem...

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