Suffolk Shoreline Management Plan
What is a Shoreline Management Plan?
A Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is a strategy for managing flood and erosion risk for a particular stretch of coastline, over short, medium and long-term time periods. SMPs identify the best ways to manage coastal flood and erosion risk to people and the developed, historic and natural environment. They also identify opportunities where shoreline management can work with others to make improvements.
Review of Shoreline Management Plans
About 10 years ago the first round of SMPs was completed for the entire length of the coastline of England and Wales. Since then considerable work has been undertaken both in managing defences around the coast and in building a better understanding of the issues and behaviour of the coast through studies and monitoring. These first round SMPs have been reviewed to take account of updated information.
The review of the Suffolk SMP, for the coast between Lowestoft Ness and Felixstowe Landguard Point, began in 2007 and the plan and documentation were finalised in the early part of 2010. This SMP was known previously as SMP Sub Cell 3C and is now named SMP 7 due to a decision to renumber SMPs sequentially clockwise from the North East. The final report is one of the second generation Shoreline Management Plans, or SMP2s.
Who is involved with the Suffolk SMP?
Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils are the coast protection authorities, with powers to undertake coast protection works (protection against coastal erosion and the encroachment by the sea). They are the bodies, under the Coast Protection Act 1949, who have a duty to regulate coast protection works undertaken by other organisations and individuals.
The Environment Agency (EA) is the authority responsible for sea defence (management of coastal flood risk). It also has an overview, or supervisory, role with respect to both sea defence and coast protection. These three organisations work in partnership with each other and with all those that have an interest and responsibility along the Suffolk coast. These include Natural England, with their advisory role on nature conservation, Suffolk County Council, English Heritage and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit.
The production of the SMP was managed on behalf of Suffolk Coastal District Council by Terry Oakes Associates Ltd and the technical study was carried out by Royal Haskoning, supported by ABPmer.
Suffolk SMP approved and formally adopted
Suffolk Coastal's Cabinet agreed to formally adopt the SMP for the Suffolk Coastal part of the shoreline at its meeting on 1 November 2011:
Waveney District Council's Cabinet agreed to formally adopt the SMP at its meeting on 9 November 2011.
The SMP has been approved by Defra and signed off by the Environment Agency.
Further information about the Suffolk SMP
Further information, together with full and summary versions of the SMP, are available on the Suffolk Shoreline Management Plan website (new window).
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