Hundreds of properties and beaches along the Sussex coastline are at risk of being engulfed by the sea.

Plans to save the Bognor area from rising sea levels are currently being worked on by the authorities.

According to a map by Climate Central, parts of the town could be completely under water by 2030, alongside the majority of Felpham, Middleton-on-Sea and Shripney, reaching all the way to the top of Barnham. That is up to seven miles inland swallowed up by the sea in less than six years.

This year alone has seen the Tesco superstore car park in Shripney Road severely flooded and closed for weeks for the second time in less than a year.

Read more: Life inside town that could be under water by 2030

In Bognor and Felpham, there are currently 342 properties at risk from erosion.

A report by the Environment Agency and Arun District Council shows the popular Butlin’s resort, the Aldingbourne Rife outfall, Bognor Reef and Felpham SSSI are also at risk.

Both authorities have a strategy in place to manage the risk of flooding and coastal erosion in the area which has been issued since 2015.

They manage the coastal defences here, with over 2.3 miles backshore defences which include 92 timber groynes, eight rock groynes and 2.3 miles of beach.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “To reduce flood risk to Bognor Regis and the surrounding area, the Environment Agency carries out river maintenance and operates flood risk structures.

“ Every year we help to maintain the flow of water down the catchment during late summer and autumn.  Vegetation is cut from the channel bed and embankments using a variety of methods, whether using mechanical means such as a weed boat and excavators, or manually by hand in sensitive or hard-to-reach places.

“ The Felpham Pumping Station is owned and operated by the Environment Agency. It sits at the end of the Aldingbourne Rife before the river flows into the sea and drains a catchment of approximately 100 km2”.

'That’s exactly why we set up the flood forum with agencies to tackle these issues and keep our area safe' (Image: Arun District Council)

Earlier this month the Arun Flood Forum had a meeting to discuss and detail what will be done to tackle the risks of flooding this coming winter across the West Sussex coastline.

The forum was formed in January and is made up of representatives from Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council, Southern Water and the Environment Agency and West Sussex Fire and Rescue and looks at what can be done to manage the risk of flooding in the area.

It plans to find funding sources to allow for flood mitigation and establish a local flood risk management strategy.

A spokesperson for Arun District Council said: “As we have seen over recent years, incidents of flooding are now a reality for some of our communities. There are so many factors but the crux of it is that we are getting more rainfall than ever before, and we need to be prepared to deal with more water.

“This is a complex and emotive subject, and we will be working with our partners at WSCC, The Environment Agency, Southern Water and West Sussex Fire and Rescue to help residents and businesses, plan and prepare for any flood incidents that are to come.”