A new concrete wall has been built in Forton to protect more than 200 homes from flooding.
The Gosport Borough Council project has created a 240-metre reinforced concrete wall at the western end of Forton Lake.
This aims to reduce the flood risk to more than 200 homes, 16 businesses and part of St Vincent College.
The council, through Coastal Partners, secured the funding and carried out the works to protect homes from severe flooding.
READ MORE: Gosport Borough Council announce carparking changes coming to the town centre
Front centre: Cllr Leader and Forton Ward Councillor Peter Chegwyn, standing next to (left) Steve Fitzmaurice, engineering team manager for Coastal Partners, and (right) Alister Butcher, director of estates and safety at Lighthouse Learning Trust.
Back: Representatives from Coastal Partners, the construction team and the Environment Agency at the completed Forton defences.(Image: Gosport Borough Council) Gosport leader and Forton ward councillor Peter Chegwyn said: "This scheme has been many years in the planning so its completion on time and on budget is a major milestone.
"More importantly, local homes and infrastructure are now better protected from major flood events well into the future.
"Strong partnership work has achieved the outside funding needed for a project of this size, and the college has been extremely supportive throughout."
The new Forton coastal defences were completed in December 2024 and will aim to reduce the risk of significant flood events impacting neighbouring properties, roads, utilities, services and the college.
SEE MORE: The areas worst affected by storm flooding - in pictures
Andy Grant, executive principal of Lighthouse Learning Trust, which the college is part of, said: "We are delighted to see the launch of the Forton Coastal Scheme after the extensive work that has been completed over the last year.
"The completed project provides St Vincent Sixth Form College, and our partner businesses based here, with a picturesque, beautiful, and safe landscape from which learners can thrive and businesses can grow.
"We look forward to members of the community being able to access our Adult Education College in these wonderful new surroundings."
The project received more than £3.2m of funding from the Environment Agency, the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, and the Department for Education.
It follows the successful completion of a coastal defence scheme in Stokes Bay last September.
Further schemes continue to be developed at Seafield and Alverstoke.
Such projects are part of ongoing efforts to safeguard properties and infrastructure against potential flood risks.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here