Introduction to Shoreline Management Plans
Imagine living by the coast and watching your garden slowly disappear into the sea, or seeing your local beach get smaller each year. This is the reality for many coastal communities around the UK. Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) are the government's way of deciding how to protect our coastlines - but they can't save everywhere.
SMPs are large-scale assessments of coastal erosion and flood risks that provide a framework for sustainable coastal defence. They cover the entire coastline of England and Wales, divided into 22 separate plans, each covering around 50-100km of coast.
Key Definitions:
- Shoreline Management Plan (SMP): A strategic document that sets out policies for managing coastal erosion and flooding over the next 100 years.
- Coastal Cell: A length of coastline where the movement of sand and shingle is largely self-contained.
- Policy Unit: A section of coastline with similar characteristics that can be managed in the same way.
- Epoch: Time periods used in SMPs - short term (0-20 years), medium term (20-50 years) and long term (50-100 years).
🌊 Why SMPs Matter
Without proper planning, coastal management can be chaotic and expensive. SMPs ensure that decisions about protecting one area don't cause problems elsewhere. They help councils, the Environment Agency and local communities work together to make tough choices about what to protect and what to let go.
The Four Coastal Management Strategies
SMPs use four main approaches to deal with coastal erosion and flooding. Each strategy has different costs, benefits and impacts on local communities.
🛡 Hold the Line
Maintain or upgrade existing coastal defences to keep the shoreline in its current position. This is expensive but protects valuable assets like towns, ports and infrastructure.
→ Advance the Line
Build new defences seaward of the existing coastline to reclaim land from the sea. This is rarely used due to high costs and environmental concerns.
← Managed Retreat
Allow controlled erosion or flooding of currently defended areas. This can create valuable habitats but requires relocating people and activities.
No Active Intervention
This strategy means doing nothing - allowing natural coastal processes to continue without human interference. It's often used in areas with low economic value or where intervention would be ineffective. While this might sound harsh, it can be the most sustainable option for remote coastlines with few assets at risk.
Real Example: Happisburgh, Norfolk
This village has lost over 35 houses to coastal erosion since 1990. The SMP policy changed from "hold the line" to "no active intervention" because the cost of sea defences couldn't be justified for a small community. Residents have had to relocate, showing how difficult SMP decisions can be.
How SMPs Are Developed
Creating an SMP is a complex process that takes several years and involves many different groups. The process ensures that all voices are heard before making decisions that will affect communities for the next century.
The SMP Development Process
SMPs are developed by coastal groups made up of local councils, the Environment Agency, Natural England and other stakeholders. The process involves detailed studies of coastal processes, economic assessments and extensive public consultation.
📈 Technical Assessment
Scientists study wave patterns, sediment movement and erosion rates. They use computer models to predict how the coast will change under different scenarios, including the effects of climate change and sea level rise.
💰 Economic Analysis
Economists calculate the costs and benefits of different management options. They consider the value of properties, businesses, agricultural land and infrastructure that could be lost to erosion or flooding.
Case Studies in Action
Case Study: Medmerry Managed Retreat, West Sussex
In 2013, the Environment Agency deliberately breached sea defences at Medmerry to create England's largest managed retreat project. The old sea wall was removed and a new one built 2km inland, creating 183 hectares of saltmarsh and mudflats. This £28 million project protects 348 properties in nearby towns while providing valuable wildlife habitat. Local farmers were compensated for lost agricultural land and the area now attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Holderness Coast, East Yorkshire
The Holderness coast is Europe's fastest-eroding coastline, losing an average of 2 metres per year. The SMP uses different strategies along its length:
- Bridlington: Hold the line with rock armour and sea walls to protect this important resort town
- Hornsea: Hold the line with concrete sea walls and groynes to protect residential areas
- Rural areas: No active intervention, allowing natural erosion to continue
- Spurn Point: No active intervention, maintaining this important wildlife habitat
Case Study: Thames Estuary 2100
London faces increasing flood risk from storm surges and rising sea levels. The Thames Estuary 2100 project includes moveable flood barriers, raised embankments and improved early warning systems. The centrepiece is a series of rotating flood barriers that can be raised when needed but remain invisible during normal conditions. This £1.8 billion investment protects 1.25 million people and £200 billion of assets.
Challenges and Controversies
SMPs often create difficult situations where tough choices must be made. Not everyone agrees with the decisions and conflicts can arise between different interest groups.
The Human Cost
When SMPs designate areas for managed retreat or no active intervention, real people lose their homes and livelihoods. Compensation schemes exist, but they don't always cover the full emotional and financial costs of relocation.
🛑 Environmental Benefits
Allowing natural coastal processes can create valuable habitats like saltmarshes and mudflats. These areas provide flood protection, support wildlife and can adapt naturally to sea level rise.
Climate Change and Future Planning
Climate change is making coastal management more challenging. Sea levels are rising, storms are becoming more intense and rainfall patterns are changing. SMPs must plan for these uncertainties over the next 100 years.
Adapting to Change
SMPs use different sea level rise scenarios to test their policies. They plan for adaptive management, where strategies can be changed if conditions turn out differently than expected. This flexibility is crucial because we can't predict exactly how climate change will affect our coasts.
Future Challenges
By 2100, sea levels around the UK could rise by 0.5-2 metres. This would put an additional 1.5 million properties at risk of flooding. SMPs will need regular updates to deal with these changing conditions and some communities currently protected may need to consider retreat in the future.
Success and Limitations
SMPs have brought much-needed coordination to coastal management, but they're not perfect. They provide a framework for decision-making, but implementing the plans requires ongoing funding and political will.
✅ Successes
SMPs have reduced conflicts between neighbouring authorities, improved habitat creation and provided clearer guidance for development planning. They've also helped secure funding for major projects like the Thames Barrier upgrades.
⚠ Limitations
SMPs are strategic documents that don't guarantee funding for implementation. Local communities sometimes feel excluded from decision-making and the 100-year timescale can seem too distant to motivate action.