St Bees Head to River Sark Shoreline Management Plan 96M477/4Catlas
ST BEES HEAD TO RIVER SARK, SCOTTISH BORDER
SHORELINE MANAGEMENT PLAN
November 1998
VOLUME I
CORE REPORT
VOLUME II
ATLAS
VOLUME III
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
Contents
St Bees Head to River Sark, Scottish Border Shoreline Management Plan
Glossary
Abbreviations
Maps 1
Map 1 - Boundaries and Coastline Responsibilities 2
Map 2 - Bathymetry 3
Map 3 - Typical Rates of Coastline Movement 4
Map 4 - Coastal Geomorphology 5
Map 5 - Nearshore Wave Conditions 6
Map 6 - Tidal Conditions 7
Map 7 - Foreshore and Seabed Sediments 8
Map 8 - Potential Longshore Sediment Transport 9
Map 9 - Locations and Types of Coast Defence Structures 10
Map 10 - Areas at Risk from Flooding 11
Map 11 - Planning Framework 12
Map 12 - Nature Conservation Designations 13
Map 13 - Coastal Habitats 15
Map 14 - Recreation and Amenity 16
Map 15 - Cultural Heritage 17
Map 16 - Coastal Land Use 18
Map 17 - Land Use, Coastal Process and Management Units 19
Section 2: Strategic Coast Defence Policy Option Appraisal 20
Management Unit 1 - St Bees Head to Kells 21
Management Unit 2 - Kells to Whitehaven 22
Management Unit 3 - Whitehaven to Redness Point 23
Management Unit 4 - Redness Point to Harrington Parks 24
Management Unit 5 - Harrington Parks to River Derwent 25
Management Unit 6 - River Derwent to Siddick 26
Management Unit 7 - Siddick to Risehow 27
Management Unit 8 - Risehow to Maryport Harbour 28
Management Unit 9 - North Maryport 29
Management Unit 10 - Maryport to Dubmill Point 30
Management Unit 11 - Dubmill Point to Silloth Harbour 31
Management Unit 12 - Silloth Harbour to Skinburness Bank 32
Management Unit 13 - The Grune 33
Management Unit 14 - Skinburness Creek to River Wampool 34
Management Unit 15 - River Wampool to Cardurnock 35
Management Unit 16 - Cardurnock to Bowness on Solway 36
Management Unit 17 - Bowness on Solway to Drumburgh 37
Management Unit 18 - Drumburgh to River Sark 38
ST BEES HEAD TO RIVER SARK, SCOTTISH BORDER SHORELINE MANAGEMENT PLAN
This document accompanies the Core Report of this SMP. The scope of these two documents is outlined below:
Core Report: This document describes how the coastline relevant to this SMP has been considered as a number of “Management Units”; those lengths of coast with coherent characteristics in terms of natural coastal processes and land use. It sets out the Management Objectives of the SMP with regard to the whole coast and the Management Units. The Strategic Coastal Defence Options are then appraised in terms of these Management Objectives and the Preferred Options are thus derived.
The remainder of the Core Report is concerned with recommendations for future research and monitoring of the coast, and recommendations for the future review procedures for the SMP.
Atlas: The Atlas comprises 17 maps accompanied by short descriptions of the information presented. A list of the maps included in the Atlas is provided in Table 1. The maps/text describe the relevant information considered in determining the SMP and illustrate how the proposals have been derived. The information in the Atlas is presented in two sections.
The first section presents information on the following key issues:
· coastal processes
· coastal defences
· land use and the human environment
· natural environment
The information presented is the result of the data gathering and consultation exercises undertaken during the preparation of this SMP.
The second section presents the appraisal of the Strategic Coastal Defence Policy Options.
Preparation of this SMP
This SMP has been developed in two stages, Stage 1 dealt with the data collation, analysis, interpretation and objective setting and Stage 2 with the integration of all information which, together with the results of the consultation, led to the preparation of the coastal defence strategies.
The procedure leading to the production of this SMP is shown in Figure 1.3 of the Core Report.
At the beginning of Stage 1 (Dec 96) a scoping document was issued to over 100 interested parties to advise them of the project and to request relevant information. Data collected was used in the preparation of the Stage 1 Report which was issued to members of the Steering Group for their evaluation and comment, then subsequently revised as appropriate.
During Stage 2 the Strategy Policy Options for the management of the coastal defences were developed and Management Units were established. These were presented in the draft SMP which was issued to the members of the Steering Group for consultation in May 1998.
Table 1: Index to Maps
Map No. / TitleTable 1: Coastal Processes, Human and Built Environment and Natural Environment Information
1 / Boundaries
2 / Bathymetry
3 / Typical Rates of Coastline Movement
4 / Coastal Geomorphology
5 / Nearshore Wave Conditions (Parts 1 and 2)
6 / Residual Tidal Currents
7 / Foreshore and Sea Bed Sediments
8 / Longshore Sediment Drift
9 / Location and Type of Coast Defence Structures
10 / Areas at Risk from Flooding
11 / Planning Framework
12 / Nature Conservation Designations (Part 1 and 2)
13 / Coastal Habitats
14 / Recreation and Amenity
15 / Cultural Heritage
16 / Coastal Land Use
17 / Management Units
GLOSSARY
Armour / Rock, blockwork etc used to armour an embankment.Astronomical Tide / The tide levels and flows which result from gravitational effects of the celestial bodies (eg. Earth, Moon, Sun etc.) without any meteorological influences (eg. Pressure systems, storms etc.)
Atlas / This document provides a summary of data collected during the preparation of the Shoreline Management Plan, as well as the appraisal of the Strategic Coastal Defence Policy Options.
Bathymetry / Shape of the seabed.
Breastwork / Form of vertical coastal defence structure.
Chart Datum / The level to which tide levels and water depths are related on marine charts. On UK charts this level is approximately the level of the lowest predicted astronomical tide (LAT).
Coast Protection
Authority / Authority responsible for the protection of the coast from erosion by the sea.
Coastal Defence / Term used to describe any form of defence which protects against erosion and/or flooding by the sea. This includes hard and soft defence methods and in the case of flooding also covers natural defences.
Coastal Process Unit / A length of shoreline which has consistent characteristics in terms of coastal processes.
Coastal Protection / Structure designed to protect the coastline from erosion by the sea.
Core Report / This document sets out the strategy for the coast between St Bees Head and the River Sark. It includes details of the appraisal process leading to selection of the preferred options. It also contains recommendations for future monitoring, research and updating.
Coriolis Force / Force experienced by bodies of water due to the rotation of the earth on its own axis.
Ebb / Period when the tide is falling. Also taken to mean the ebb current which occurs during this period.
Estuary Head / Landward boundary of an estuary.
Estuary Mouth / Seaward boundary of an estuary.
Flood / Period when tide is rising. Also taken to mean the flood current which occurs during this period.
Gabions / Form of coastal protection constructed from wire mesh frames filled with rock material.
Geomorphology / The study of landforms and landforming processes.
Groynes / Coastal structures lying at right angles to, and connected to the shore for the purpose of trapping sediment moving along the shore and thereby building up the level of the foreshore. They may be constructed from timber, concrete, steel sheet piles or rock.
Hard Defences / Defences that tend to confront and resist the natural coastal processes, eg. Seawalls.
Inshore / Part of the nearshore zone between the ordinary low water level and the line where waves first start to break. This area defines the part of the sea where waves are affected by the presence of the sea bed.
Inter-tidal Banks / Areas of sand or mud banks exposed for part of the tidal cycle.
Joint Structure Plan / Sets out broad planning strategies and policies for county areas for the control of planning and development.
Land Use Unit / A length of shoreline which has consistent characteristics in terms of land use.
Local Plan / A document which sets out planning control policies at a district level.
Longshore Transport Rate / The rate at which sediment travels parallel to the shore under the influence of waves or currents.
GLOSSARY (continued)
Management Objectives / Objectives for the management of the shoreline. These objectives form the basis for the appraisal and development of the strategic coastal options.
Management Unit / A length of shoreline with coherent characteristics in terms of both natural coastal processes and land use.
Nearshore / Area from the ordinary low water level to the limit of nearshore currents. This area defines the part of the sea where waves and currents are affected by the presence of a landmass.
Neap Tide / Tides of small range which occur twice a month.
Photogrammetric Survey / Survey carried out by taking aerial photographs. By examining the positions of the coastline relative to fixed points such as large buildings etc a record of coastline movement can be established.
Pleistocene / Era of time spanning from ten thousand to two million years ago.
Residual Tidal Current / Resultant current over a full tidal cycle.
Revetment / A sloping surface of stone, concrete or other material used to protect an embankment, natural coast or shoreline against erosion.
Ruderal / Plants growing on waste land.
Scoping Document / The document issued to interested parties prior to the preparation of this SMP. The document was issued in order to establish what relevant data regarding the coastal processes existed and what the major concerns of the contacted parties were in regard of the coastline and its use.
Sea Defence / Structure which provides flood aleviation to a stretch of coastline. These structures are usually designed to protect from an estimated highest water level which is thought to be likely to occur in a specified time span.
Sea Wall / Solid vertical coastal structure built parallel to the shoreline.
Sediment Cell / A length of coastline which is relatively self-contained as far as the movement of sediments is concerned.
Semi-diurnal tides / Tides which have two high waters and two low waters during a 24 hour period.
Shoreline Management Plan / A document which sets out a strategy for coastal defences for a specific length of coast, taking into account coastal processes and the human and built environment and natural environment.
Significant Wave Height / The average of the highest one third of waves.
Slack Water / The period during the tidal cycle when the water level is neither rising nor falling.
Soft Defence / Defences which aim to protect the shoreline by working with the natural processes (eg. Dune systems, sand traps etc.).
Spit / Ridge of natural material (eg. sand, gravel) extending from the land into the sea, usually formed by geomorphological processes.
Spring Tide / Tides of large range which occur twice a month when the moon is new or full.
Statutory Protection / Protection derived from legislation
Strategic Coastal Defence Option / Coastal management strategy eg. Do nothing; advance; retreat; hold the line.
Tidal Range / The vertical difference between the flood and ebb tidal flows.
Wave Refraction / The effect on the direction of waves due to the sea bed.
ABBREVIATIONS
B/C Ratio / Benefit to Cost RatioBNFL / British Nuclear Fuels Ltd
cSAC / candidate Special Area of Conservation
CWT / Cumbria Wildlife Trust
ESA / Environmentally Sensitive Area
GCR / Geological Conservation Review
JNCC / Joint Nature Conservation Committee
LNR / Local Nature Reserve
LUU / Land Use Unit
MAFF / Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food
MHWN / Mean High Water Neaps
MHWS / Mean High Water Springs
MLWN / Mean Low Water Neaps
MLWS / Mean Low Water Springs
MOD / Ministry of Defence
MSL / Mean Sea Level
NNR / National Nature Reserve
NPV / Net Present Value
PAGN / Project Appraisal Guidance Notes
PPG / Planning Policy Guidance
PVb / Present Value benefits
RIGS / Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Site
RNLI / Royal National Lifeboat Institution
RSPB / Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
SAC / Special Area of Conservation
SAM / Scheduled Ancient Monument
SMP / Shoreline Management Plan
SMR / Sites and Monuments Record
SNCI / Site of Nature Conservation Interest
SPA / Special Protection Area
SSSI / Site of Special Scientific Interest
Bullen Consultants Limited
St Bees Head to River Sark Shoreline Management Plan 96M477/4Catlas
MAPS
SECTION 1: COASTAL PROCESSES, HUMAN AND BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
MAP 1 - BOUNDARIES AND COASTLINE RESPONSIBILITIES
This map indicates the boundaries of the various authorities holding responsibilities related to the coastline, together with the extents of this SMP.
The three Coast Protection Authorities for the length of coast covered by this SMP are Allerdale and Copeland Borough Councils and Carlisle City Council. These authorities respond to duties under legislation to protect the coastline from erosion by the sea where it is appropriate to do so. The Environment Agency covers the entire length of the coast and has permissive duties to protect against flooding from the sea.
Cumbria County Council is the highway authority for the whole of Cumbria and undertakes works to protect highways where under threat and where appropriate to do so.
The map also shows the Barrow to Carlisle railway line. Railtrack plc have no statutory responsibilities to defend the coast but do undertake works to defend the railway line in their commercial interest.
Sources of Information
Allerdale Borough Council. Allerdale Local Plan. 1997
Carlisle City Council. 1995. Carlisle district Local Plan.
Copeland Borough Council. Undated. Copeland Local Plan
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, 1995, Shoreline Management Plans, A guide for Coastal Defence Authorities.