The management of Pevensey shingle barrier

Abstract

The shingle (gravel) barrier beach at Pevensey Bay (East Sussex, UK) protects rare habitat, properties, trunk roads and other assets from flooding and erosion. The beach is managed in an adaptive manner by a private consortium, based on a 25 year contract. The practices developed at Pevensey are shown to fit into the frame of reference approach, adapted for the English policy and management framework. The barrier beach is managed to retain a favourable sediment status, although the concept has no official recognition, thereby ensuring that the barrier is sufficiently resilient to maintain its functions between interventions. The concept of favourable sediment status is considered a potentially useful way of summarising the status of the beach at Pevensey as it combines management objectives and processes (through coastal state indicators) with the availability of supply. The concept of the coastal sediment cell is important, but not sufficient, for identifying policy units at Pevensey as smaller-scale processes are also important. Two offshore dredging areas constitute the strategic sediment reservoir for Pevensey, although the term ‘strategic sediment reservoir’ has no official recognition and there is no long-term guarantee of supply.