Climate change, within which sea levels are predicted to rise, will ‘significantly inflate the value’ of harbour border areas, predicts Chichester Harbour’s environmental manager Philip Couchman.

He says that European legislation obliges harbour authorities to make ‘environmental compensation’ as sea levels rise. In other words where rising sea levels threaten saltmarsh areas which provided good nesting grounds – alternative habitats will have to be created.

This in turn will affect Human Rights issues as private landowners contest local authorities who are forced to create the new habitats – sometimes by preventing landowners erecting sea defences to safeguard their real estate. All of which means as less land is available so it will go up in price.