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 are now being 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.
Summary of the Suffolk SMP
The summary document below gives an overview of the Suffolk SMP.
It describes how the shoreline in Suffolk will be managed in the
short term (up to 2025), the medium term (2026 - 2055) and the long
term (up to 2105). The summary is set out in two sections - the
first section considers the whole SMP frontage and the second
section provides more detailed information on individual areas:
The plan for the medium and long term sets a vision for the
future, but is based on our current knowledge and understanding -
that is why SMPs are reviewed every five to 10 years.
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 has been managed on behalf of Suffolk
Coastal District Council by Terry Oakes Associates Ltd and the
technical study has been carried out by Royal Haskoning, supported
by ABPmer.
Suffolk SMP approved and formally adopted
The draft final SMP was provisionally approved by Suffolk
Coastal's Cabinet in February 2010. Following delays while under
consideration by Defra, it has now been approved by Defra and
signed off by the Environment Agency.
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:
Cabinet decided to restrict discussion to just those parts of
the plan that affected Suffolk Coastal and not neighbouring
Waveney.
Waveney District Council's Cabinet agreed to formally adopt the
SMP at its meeting on 9 November 2011.
Further information about the Suffolk SMP
Further information, together with the full version of the
SMP, is available on the Suffolk Shoreline Management Plan website (new
window).
