Shoreline Management Plan
Introduction
These website pages explain the main content and
findings of the St. Bees Head to River Sark Shoreline Management
Plan (SMP).
The 99 kilometres of coastline covered by the SMP from St. Bees
Head to the Scottish Border includes important sand dune systems
between Maryport and Silloth, raised mire peat land in the inner
Solway and red sandstone cliffs at St. Bees Head. Settlements
include the popular tourist resorts of Whitehaven, Silloth and
Allonby Village, the commercial harbour port of Workington,
Maryport historic town and smaller residential villages. The Solway
Estuary is an important site for breeding wildfowl and supports one
of the largest migrating bird populations in Britain.
Sediment movement and coastline change in the Solway Firth
The beaches, dunes and estuary channels of the Solway Firth are
constantly changing. Many factors contribute to this change -
principally wind, tides and currents.
The Solway Firth is fed by sediment from the Irish Sea and its
tributary rivers, and this periodically affects the positions of
offshore sandbanks and channels. Along the north Cumbrian coast,
sediment drifts north-east from St. Bees Head, driven by the
predominant wind. At Cardurnock, where sea and river-borne
sediments from the Eden, Esk and Sark meet, there has been a
significant build up of saltmarsh over the past 130 years.
Natural beaches and sand dunes are important coastal defences
because they absorb wave energy. Following a damaging storm, dunes
often rebuild naturally over a period of months, replenished by
wind-blown sand. In an appropriate location they can negate the
need for artificial defences. The dune systems within the Solway
Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are proactively managed to
enhance their coastal defence, wildlife habitat, and leisure
amenity value.
Coastal defences
It is not always possible to protect land using natural defences
and in several areas artificial defences are necessary to protect
low lying or erosion prone settlements. The SMP identifies flood
risk areas and describes the existing coastal defences including
their condition and any work needed to maintain or upgrade them. It
also highlights work recommended to provide defence where none
presently exists.
The findings of the St. Bees Head to River Sark SMP
The information and data on which the SMP is based is described
in the Stage 1 documents. The SMP divides the shoreline into a
series of 18 'Management Units' and sets out options for future
coastal defence in each Unit. For some Units the recommended option
may be 'Do Nothing', where no immediate action other than observe,
monitor and review is carried out. In most Units the recommended
option is 'Hold the Line', which means to maintain, improve or
rebuild the existing defences. The map in this leaflet shows the
recommendations for the next five years. The SMP looks forward over
the next fifty years and takes account of the possible effects of
climate change and sea level rise. The SMP builds on our knowledge
and understanding of the coastline.
The revised Shoreline Management Plan is
available to view at www.mycoastline.org.