Virtual Reality brings stakeholder engagement to life for the Brighton Marina to River Adur FCERM scheme
Using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, residents took a guided virtual walk along an upgraded Brighton seafront as part of this innovative stakeholder engagement strategy. The immersive exhibit brought coastal defences and beach‑management plans to life, giving stakeholders a clear, first‑hand sense of the proposals and their long‑term benefits. Read on to find out more.
With the existing coastal defences between Brighton Marina and the River Adur at Shoreham no longer providing the necessary level of protection, the improvement scheme will help to reduce future flood and erosion risk. The scheme takes place in a heavily populated coastal area, highly reliant on the seafront for its economic and social well-being. The support of residents, businesses and councils is crucial to its success.
- Client Brighton and Hove City Council, Shoreham Port Authority, Adur District Council
- Location Brighton and Hove
- Partners Environment Agency
Using immersive technology to bring the benefits of planned coastal improvements to life
With coastal residents, businesses and visitors set to be affected by planned improvements as part of the Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Scheme, informing and engaging them was crucial in generating support for the scheme and avoiding costly delays.
As part of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy, we supported Brighton and Hove City Council to host several events, inviting members of the public, key stakeholders and council representatives.
To bring the benefits of the proposed works to life, we developed an innovative VR model of the planned scheme. This VR landscape was a detailed, accurate rendering of how the landscape will look after the works are completed. Users virtually walked the promenade, aided by our expert VR operative, whilst their journey was projected onto a large screen. Event attendees were delighted by the highly visual, interactive activity.
One City Council member said, “The VR experience was a brilliant addition to the event. It really helped bring the plans to life. It has the potential to make consultations more accessible and inclusive.” A resident of a beachfront property said, “The drawings show us how it is going to look, but the VR helps me understand how it will feel.” The event attracted media attention, resulting in positive coverage in the local press.
The VR landscape was created using drone footage from Maltby Surveys and Revit modelling. The virtual seafront we created was a fully immersive experience, complete with the new timber groynes, birds, boats, cars and beachgoers. Detailed renderings of new amenities, such as handrails, gave attendees a full and detailed experience.
The headset is accessible and engaging for people of all ages and abilities. No technical knowledge is needed, and attendees experience a personal learning journey by ‘walking’ through the landscape. Users are guided through the process by our VR expert and feel supported as they navigate the future environment.
We're also supporting the Brighton Marina to River Adur FCERM Strategy through the development of detailed designs, as well as dedicated support for the environmental and planning and consenting elements of the project. Read more here.
A clear, inclusive and accessible engagement strategy
We embraced innovative technology to give stakeholders timely, easy-to-understand access to the improvement scheme and to let them experience its benefits firsthand. Intuitive, non‑technical tools made the scheme’s impacts and long‑term advantages accessible to everyone.
To further support the scheme's objectives, we staffed public engagement events with our specialists in coastal engineering, stakeholder engagement and virtual reality. We also created accessible materials highlighting benefits to the coastal community and environment, including a 3D virtual consultation room (available anytime via the Brighton and Hove City Council website), video content and visually engaging posters.
