Shoreline management plans: a national review and engineering perspective

Abstract

Shoreline management plans were introduced by the Government in England and Wales in the early 1990s as a means of enabling large-scale and longer-term planning of risks to people and the developed and natural environments from coastal flooding and erosion. This paper presents results from a national review of the first-generation shoreline management plans, commissioned by the (then) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF), which critically assessed the methods used during their preparation and implementation and the type, detail and format of output generated. Particular focus is given in the paper to: (a) client-side project management and the procurement of consultants; (b) the nature of assessment of coastal defences; (c) the identification and adoption of strategic coastal defence options such as ‘hold’, ‘retreat’ or ‘advance’ the existing line of defence and ‘do nothing’; and (d) the levels of economic assessment contained within the Plans. The general strengths and weaknesses of shoreline management plans are presented, together with future recommendations that, when adopted, will enable the quality of shoreline management planning to continue to improve.