Strategic Environmental Assessment

Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update

Wyre Borough Council

December 2011

Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update

Wyre Borough Council

December 2011

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Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

Document history

Strategic Environmental Assessment Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update Wyre Borough Council

This document has been issued and amended as follows:

Version Date Description Created by Verified by Approved by

1.0 18/07/01 Draft Baseline SEA ECB

2.0 11/12/01 Final Draft SEA ECD

3.0 20/03/02 Final SEA ECD

4.0 03/06/11 Draft SEA Review KH/NP SK AP

5.0 14/11/11 Final Draft SEA SK AP IT

6.0 Initial Consultation SK AP IT

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

Contents

1 Introduction 16 1.1 The Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study - 2011 Update 16 1.2 General 19 1.3 Approach 19 1.4 Objectives 20 1.5 Format 20 1.6 Sources of Information 21

2 The Natural Environment 22 2.1 Location and Character 22 2.2 Geology and Geomorphology 24 2.2.1 Geology 24 2.2.2 Geomorphology 24 2.3 Ecology and Nature Conservation 25 2.3.1 General Description 25 2.3.2 Nature Conservation Designations 26 2.3.3 Terrestrial and Brackish Habitats 43 2.3.4 Marine and Intertidal Ecology 47 2.3.5 Biodiversity Action Plan 47 2.3.6 Natural Area Profiles 56 2.3.7 Lancashire Plains and Valleys 56 2.3.8 Morecambe Bay 56 2.3.9 Liverpool Bay 56 2.4 Sea Level Rise 56 2.5 Landscape 57 2.5.1 Landscape Designations 57 2.6 Landscape Characterisation/Assessment 57 2.7 Natural Character Area (NCA) Climate Change Project 58 2.7.1 Introduction 58 2.7.2 Vulnerability to the impacts of climate change 59 2.7.3 Possible adaptation actions 59 2.7.4 Conclusion 60 2.8 Landscape Setting of the Open Coast 61 2.9 Landscape Setting of the Wyre Estuary 62

3 The Human and Built Environment 64 3.1 Introduction 64 3.2 Land Use and Population 64 3.2.1 Agriculture 64 3.2.2 Settlements and Population 64

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

3.2.3 Commerce and Industry 65 3.3 Transport Network and Traffic 68 3.3.1 Road Links 68 3.3.2 Rail Links 68 3.3.3 Ferry Services 69 3.3.4 Fleetwood Lifeboat 69 3.4 Water and Aquatic Environment 69 3.4.1 Water Quality 72 3.4.2 Nutrient Enrichment 72 3.4.3 Oil Pollution 72 3.4.4 Bathing Waters 74 3.4.5 Waste Water Treatment 75 3.4.6 Dredging and Reclamation 76 3.4.7 Landfill 76 3.5 Tourism and Recreation 77 3.5.1 Tourism Attractions 78 3.5.2 Land Based Recreation 79 3.5.3 Water Based Recreation 79 3.5.4 Walking and Cycling 80 3.5.5 Access to the Beach and Coastal Area 80 3.5.6 Accommodation 83 3.5.7 Tourism and the Local Economy 83 3.6 Fisheries 84 3.7 Cultural Heritage 87 3.7.1 Pre Historic 87 3.7.2 The Palaeolithic period 87 3.7.3 Iron Age 87 3.7.4 Romano-British 87 3.7.5 The Medieval Period 88 3.7.6 The 19th Century 88 3.7.7 Scheduled Monuments 88 3.7.8 Listed Buildings 88 3.7.9 Built Heritage Conservation Areas 89 3.7.10 Archaeological Sites of Interest 91 3.7.11 Wreck Sites 91 3.8 Energy Generation 91 3.8.1 Oil and Gas 91 3.8.2 Renewable Energy 92

4 Planning and Legislation 93 4.1 Introduction 93 4.2 Review of Planning Policy 93 4.2.1 International, European, National, Regional and Local Conventions, Legislation and Guidelines Relevant to the Study 93

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

4.2.2 International Level 96 4.2.3 European Level 96 4.2.4 National Level 97 4.2.5 Regional Statutory Level 99 4.2.6 Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan 101 4.2.7 Regional and Sub-Regional Non-Statutory Level 102 4.2.8 Statutory Local Government Level 105 4.2.9 Local Non-Statutory Level 109 4.2.10 Other Plans 110

5 Consultation 112 5.1 Introduction 112 5.2 Initial Consultation and Scoping 112 5.3 Ongoing Consultation 112 5.4 Final Consultation 113

6 Environmental Objectives 119 6.1 General Issues 119 6.2 Practicability, Sustainability and Economic Considerations 119

7 Evaluation of Strategy Options 138 7.1 Introduction 138 7.1.1 Methodology and Assessment 140 7.1.2 Beach Management 140 7.1.3 Reduce Overtopping Rates 147 7.2 Temporary Construction Impacts 149 7.3 Current risks within the Wyre Strategy Study Area 150 7.3.1 Anchorsholme to Rossall North 150 7.2.1 Fleetwood North: 151 7.2.2 Outer and Middle Estuary: 151 7.4 Impacts of Do Nothing option on Wyre Strategy Study Area 152 7.4.1 Introduction 152 7.4.2 Coastal Frontage: Anchorsholme to Fleetwood North: Impacts of a ‘Do Nothing’ Scenario 152 7.4.3 Outer and Middle Estuary: Impacts of a ‘Do Nothing’ Scenario 153 7.5 Impacts of ‘Maintaining’ the current defences on Wyre Strategy Study Area 155 7.5.1 Introduction 155 7.5.2 Coastal Frontage: Achorsholme to Fleetwood North 155 7.5.3 Outer and Middle Estuary Frontage: Impacts of ‘Maintaining’ the current defences 156 7.6 Impacts of ‘Sustaining’ the current defences on Wyre Strategy Study Area 157 7.6.1 Introduction 157

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

7.6.2 Coastal Frontage: Anchorsholme to Fleetwood North 157 7.6.3 Outer and Middle Estuarine Frontage: Impacts of ‘Sustaining’ the current defences. 158 7.7 Impacts of ‘Improving’ the current defences on Wyre Strategy Study Area 158 7.7.1 Introduction 158 7.7.2 Coastal Frontage: Anchorsholme to Fleetwood North 158 7.7.3 Outer and Middle Estuarine Frontage: Impacts of ‘Improving’ the current defences 159 7.8 Assessment of Options 160 7.9 Summary of assessment for updated strategy 173

8 Mitigation 176 8.1 Introduction 176 8.2 Monitoring Activities and Further Studies 182 8.2.1 Archaeology 182 8.2.2 Sand Dune Management at Fleetwood 182 8.2.3 Saltmarshes 183 8.2.4 Flood Water Storage 183 8.3 Future Work 183

9 Conclusions 185

Figures

2.1 Location of Study Area 2.2 International, European and National Statutory Nature Conservation Designations within the Study Area 2.3 Non Statutory Nature Conservation Designations within the Study Area 2.4 Land Reclamation within the Study Area 3.1 Land Use within the Study Area 3.2 Tourism / Recreation Activities within the Study Area 3.3 Fisheries Resources within the Study Area 3.4 Archaeological Resources within the Study Area 6.1 Comparison of SMP1 Management Units and SMP2 Policy Units

Tables 1.1 Strategy Section and SEA Assessment units 2.1 Summary of Nature Conservation Designations within or adjacent to the study area 2.2 Summary of National and non-statutory Nature Conservation Designations within or adjacent to the study area 2.3 Potential Sites identified by RSPB.

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study: Update 2011

3.1 Water bodies (from North West RBMP) 3.2 Proposed river quality objectives (RQOs) for reaches within the study Area 3.3 Beach access points for oil pollution incidents 3.4 Active landfill sites within and adjacent to the study area 3.5 Wyre Borough Council Tourist data 2008 - 2009 3.6 Major slipways within the study area 3.7 Visitor expenditure and overnight stays 3.8 Tourism Volume and Value by District for Lancashire 1999 3.9 Gas Fields in close proximity to the Study Area 4.1 Relevant policies in the Wyre Borough local plan 4.2 Relevant Policies in the Wyre Borough Local Plan 1st Deposit Draft, adopted for Development Control purposes 4.3 Policies relevant to Flood and Coastal Defence 5.1 Summary of Consultees Responses 6.1 General environmental objectives for the whole study area 6.2a-c Specific environmental objectives for each section of coast 6.2d Specific environmental objectives for the fluvial water courses 7.1 Coastal management options for NWE&NW SMP2 Policy Units within the Wyre Strategy Area 7.2 Key to SEA assessment tables 7.3 –-7.6 SEA Assessment tables 7.7 The Preferred Options first 10 years, coastal frontages 7.8 The Preferred Options for the longer term, coastal frontages 7.9 Preferred Options for the fluvial water courses within strategy area 8.1 Mitigation for the Wyre core urban flood and coastal risk management Strategy

Plates I Ungrazed saltmarsh on the Wyre Estuary II Sea Holly at Fleetwood III Fleetwood Frontage IV Floodwater Channel V Cleveleys Frontage VI Fleetwood Marina VII Wyre Estuary (downstream)

Annexes

A Citation Sheets B Conservation Objectives C Morecambe Bay Scheme of Management

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update Non Technical Summary

Introduction

The original Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study was prepared in 2002 and has since been adopted by Wyre Borough Council. The original Strategy identified coastal defence strategies for the management of the Wyre coastline that were environmentally, technically and economically acceptable.

The aim of the 2011 Update is to ensure that the strategy for the management of the coastal frontage is up to date. The study has therefore been reviewed with respect to European, National and Local policies and guidelines. The results of new studies, investigations and monitoring undertaken since developing the original Strategy have also been incorporated. This will ensure that through the use of informed decision making, appropriate long-term and sustainable management of the coastline is undertaken. The study area within this strategy update differs from the original 2002 Strategy and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as it concentrates on the urban areas within the single flood compartment consisting of the towns of Fleetwood and Thornton – Cleveleys. The original strategy focused solely on the issues related to flooding from the coast. Recognising that fluvial drainage issues within the coastal flood risk area need to be managed together strategically the water courses of the inland drainage system are now also included in the review.

This approach is particularly important for the Wyre Urban Core flood risk area as it is a large area which encompasses many differing features, such as open coast, estuarine and tidal river, and is densely populated in certain areas. Furthermore, a high number of the properties present, particularly around Rossall, are at risk from storm wave overtopping events.

These factors, coupled with predicted climate change scenarios and sea level rise, highlight the requirement for constant proactive measures, so that the potential risk to the public and coastal assets of the area can be minimised.

The main purpose of the Strategy Update was to determine whether there have been significant changes to or requirements for this stretch of coast and to develop acceptable solutions to address this.

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

The strategy area has been broken down into the following units. These progress around the coast from the south into the Wyre Estuary and then include the fluvial units.

Anchorsholme : Anchorsholme Park to Kingsway

Cleveleys : Kingsway to Jubilee Gardens

Rossall South : Jubilee Gardens to Rossall Hospital

Rossall North : Rossall Hospital to Fleetwood Golf Course

Fleetwood North : Fleetwood Golf Course to Fleetwood Docks

Outer Estuary : Fleetwood Docks to Springfield

Middle Estuary : Springfield to Stanah

Royles Brook & Hillylaid watercourses

Springfield watercourse

Copse Brook watercourse

See Figure 1

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

Fig 1 Strategic Flood Units

Strategic Environmental Assessment is the formalised, systematic process of evaluating the environmental impact of a policy, plan, strategy or programme. It provides an environmental overview and establishes environmental objectives at the strategic level.

This Strategic Environmental Assessment comprises:

• A description of the baseline environment, concentrating on aspects of the environment that are relevant to, or may be affected by, coastal protection and flood defence plans;

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

• Consultation with relevant statutory bodies and other organisations with an interest in the coastal zone;

• Establishment of specific environmental objectives that the adopted coastal management strategy should aim to fulfil;

• Appraisal of specific strategy options, to evaluate the types of environmental impacts and benefits that they will generate;

• Recommendation of the most acceptable strategy option(s);

• Conclusions as to the positive and negative environmental implications of the proposed option; and

• Identification of environmental issues that need to be addressed (for example, generic mitigation measures or monitoring) as part of the implementation of the preferred option.

Baseline Environment

The Natural Environment, including Ecology, Nature Conservation and Landscape .

The key features from this include European and UK designated sites for nature conservation:

• Morecambe Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC);

• Morecambe Bay Special Protection Area (SPA);

• Morecambe Bay Ramsar Site;

• Liverpool Bay SPA;

• Shell Flats pSAC and Lune Deep pSAC.

• Lune Estuary (SSSI); • Morecambe Bay (SSSI); • Wyre Estuary(SSSI).

The key element of this for the strategy is Morecambe Bay with distinctive inter tidal habitats supporting internationally important numbers of birds plus the estuary designation of the Wyre.

There are no landscape designations lying within the study area, the nearest being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) within Morecambe Bay. In addition there are no Local Authority landscape designations. However, a total of 21 Landscape Character Areas have been identified throughout Lancashire, those of relevance to the Wyre area being:

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

• 15 Coastal Plain: The coastal plain occurs in six distinct areas, those of relevance being (d) The Fylde and (f) Knott End to Pilling;

• 18 Open Coastal Marsh: The open coastal marsh landscape occurs in five distinct areas, those of relevance being (c) Wyre Marshes and (e) Pilling and Cockerham marshes; and

• 19 Coastal Dunes: The Fylde coast dunes (a) are a series of small remnants representing the coastal dunes landscape in the area.

The Human and built Environment, most notably Landuse, Tourism, Traffic, Cultural Heritage and Fisheries

The main land uses within the study area include housing, industry tourism, leisure and recreation. Fishing occurs along the coast. The Fylde area now relies heavily on its tourism industries.

The majority of the study area is covered by the conurbations of Thornton Cleveleys' and Fleetwood that lie along the Fylde coast containing extensive areas of residential properties, guest houses and hotels. The seafront is now almost continually developed along the Fylde coast with the settlements of Thornton Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Poulton-le-Fylde merging into one another where three quarters of the Borough's population is resident.

The Fleetwood fishing fleet has reduced significantly over the years but there remains a small number of working vessels. The town retains an important role in the auction and processing of seafood with supplies arriving via the port or by refrigerated heavy goods vehicles. Much of the port area has been transformed by new housing, retail units and a 420-berth marina.

The principal road connections are:

Primary routes: high quality roads linking major centres of population:

• The A585 (T) from Skippool to Fleetwood;

Other Main Routes: Links between, and into the main towns and between towns and primary routes:

• The A6 through the Borough;

• The A586 from Poulton to the A6; and

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

• The A587 from Cleveleys to Fleetwood and the St Michael’s-on-Wyre bypass.

The main highway artery serving the transport corridor and the urban coastal conurbation is the M55 motorway located just to the south of Wyre borough. The primary route northwards linking the Fleetwood, Thornton Cleveleys and Poulton-le-Fylde with the motorway is the A585 (T) from Kirkham to Fleetwood.

The main railway link within the study area is at Poulton-le-Fylde, on the Fylde line between Preston and Blackpool North

Tourism plays an important role within the study area, in addition numerous opportunities for both formal and informal recreation that allow enjoyment and appreciation of the natural assets of the coast. The premier regional tourist centre of Blackpool, located immediately to the south of the study area, had 13 million visitors in 2010 which is the highest number for ten years. Wyre Borough Council tourism data is shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1 Wyre Borough Council Tourist data 2008 – 2009

Year 2008 2009

Day visitors (‘000) 3,227 3,417

Staying visitor days 3,460 3,427 (‘000)

Total tourist days 6,687 6,843

Objectives

A number of objectives were developed to apply to the coastal, estuary and fluvial units. These were progressed from original SMP objectives, via General SEA objectives and then more specific objectives to cover specific elements of the baseline.

Assessment

A number of options for each unit have been developed, these include:

• Do nothing • Maintenance of the existing assets; • Beach recharge and nourishment • Beach management via groynes

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

• Changes to the structure of the defence e.g. Seabee blocks, rock armour, stepped revetments. • Beach replenishment • Natural vegetation and stabilisation of beach and foreshore habitats • Reduce over topping rates by increasing the height of the front wall and/or rear wall, and by altering the wave return wall.

These options were then assessed against the environmental objectives. For each unit there may be a number of favourable solutions. The preferred options for each of the coastal and fluvial units are identified in Tables 2, 3 and 4 below.

Mitigation measures have been identified to reduce any potential impact of the options upon the environment and monitoring measures have also been identified.

The options that are taken forward for each unit will need to be assessed further, at scheme specific level, in terms of economics, engineering and local environmental impact.

Table 2 The Preferred Options first 10 years, coastal frontages

SEA and Preferred Option Strategy Section Anchorsholme Improve Continue the Cleveleys stepped concrete revetment with upper and lower promenade Anchorsholme Park to and set back flood wall Kinksway

Cleveleys Maintain Implement a regime of routine maintenance to both the concrete hard defences and the Kingsway to Jubilee timber and rock groynes. Implement localised beach (gravel) nourishment and beach Gardens management Rossall South Maintain Concrete repairs to promenade, sea wall and revetments Jubilee Gardens to Repair existing groyne system. Rossall Hospital Rossall North Improve Combined rock lower revetment, and stepped upper revetment re-curved wave wall, Rossall Hospital to concrete promenade and set back wall. Fleetwood Golf Rock Groynes to retain and increase beach levels. Course

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

Fleetwood North Maintain Concrete repairs to promenade, sea wall and revetments Fleetwood Golf Repairs to existing timber groynes Course to Fleetwood Enhancement/reinforcement of dune system locally Docks Continued and improved dune and beach management

Fleetwood Docks to Maintain Work with the Environment Agency, ABP and NPL Estates to maintain existing earth Springfield embankments through strengthening works Springfield to Stanah Maintain Work with the Environment Agency, ABP and NPL Estates to maintain existing earth embankments through strengthening works

SEA Strategy Section Preferred Option for the next epoch

A. Fleetwood Pier to Fleetwood Fleetwood North Sustain Concrete repairs to promenade, sea wall and revetments in Ferry Fleetwood Golf Course to combination with Construction of new stepped revetment overlay B. Marine Lake to Fleetwood Fleetwood Docks Raised concrete seawall and new concrete aprons Pier C. Rossall Point to Marine Lake Enhance and reinforce dune system by nourishing and planting. D Chatsworth Avenue to Rossall Point Northern part

D Chatsworth Avenue to Rossall North Maintain Maintenance of newly constructed defences as part of Council’s Rossall Point Southern part Rossall Hospital to asset management strategy. beach recharge within area of newly D.Rossall Hospital to Fleetwood Golf Course constructed rock groynes. Potential extension / improvement to Chatsworth Avenue effectiveness of groyne field. E Five Bar Gate to Rossall Rossall South Improve Stepped concrete revetment with re-curved wave wall with Rock Hospital Jubilee Gardens to Rossall groynes and beach recharge E Jubilee Gardens to Five Bar Hospital Gate E. Anchorsholme Park to Jubilee Cleveleys Sustain Concrete repairs to promenade, sea wall and revetments with beach Gardens Northern part Kingsway to Jubilee management and extension of the rock groynes Gardens E Anchorsholme Park to Jubilee Anchorsholme Sustain Beach nourishment in combination with rock groynes. Gardens Southern Part Anchorsholme Park to E. Anchorsholme Park Kingsway F. Fleetwood Ferry to Stanah Fleetwood Docks to Sustain Enhancement/reinforcement of the salt marshes locally. Springfield Improvements to embankments and revetment systems. F. Fleetwood Ferry to Stanah Springfield to Stanah Sustain The council would liase with NPL Estates to ensure that they undertake a maintenance regime of the embankments and tidal outlets along their frontage.

Table 3 The Preferred Options for the longer term, coastal frontages

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

Table 4 Preferred Options for the fluvial water courses within strategy area Water course Timescale Preferred Details Option Royles Brook and The life of Maintain General maintenance of the watercourses to achieve current Hillylaid the strategy standards with the following key areas . Watercourse • Kneps Farm bank stabilisation ( piled toe or concrete channel.. • Hillylaid channel stabilisation Hillylaid Road to Knepps Farm. Replacement of piled retaining wall structure. • Trunnah Road to Heys Street bank stabilisation, continuation of timber post and plank structure. • Screen replacement/upgrade –Marsh Mill, and Brookfield Av. Improved access and maintainability. The next Sustain In addition to the above maintenance to channel profiles in epoch combination with the following: • In-line pumping + channel & access improvements at • Red Marsh Drive culvert • Marsh Mill culvert • Amounderness Way & White Carr Lane and • Upgrade / Replace Stanah Pumping Station at current location. Springfield The life of Sustain / Capacity improvements to the system to reduce pumping the strategy Improve requirement and to build capacity into the system by undertaking improvement to the incoming channels to provide greater capacity And the redirection of incoming flows to Copse Brook and Forty Foot culvert gravity outfalls where possible. The next Sustain / Capacity improvements to the system to reduce pumping epoch Improve requirement and to build capacity into the system by the development of flood storage area at South area of Calagran and a new pumping station at Springfield with increased capacity potentially utilising Forty Foot culvert as outfall Copse Brook The life of Maintain Maintenance dredging and inspection of culverted watercourse to System the strategy maintain flows together with the following essential maintenance works: Stabilisation works to Ribble Bus Depot and Amounderness Way sections of watercourse. Inspection of the tidal flap and potential replacement. The next Sustain / Maintain as above plus Improvements to condition and capacity epoch Improve of culverted watercourse sections Improve access and open up culverted sections of watercourse

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

1 Introduction

1.1 The Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study - 2011 Update

The aim of the 2011 Update is to ensure that the strategy for the management of the coastal frontage is up to date with respect to European, National and Local policies and guidelines, and that the results of any studies, investigations and monitoring that have been undertaken since the original Strategy are used to increase the knowledge and understanding of this stretch of coastline. This will ensure that through the use of informed decision making, appropriate long-term and sustainable management of the coastline is undertaken.

The original 2002 Strategy and SEA focused solely on the coast. Recognising that fluvial drainage issues within the coastal flood risk area need to be managed together strategically the water courses of the inland drainage system are now also included in the review.

The main purpose of the Strategy Update was to determine whether there have been significant changes to or requirements for this stretch of coast and to develop acceptable solutions to address this.

The study area within this strategy update differs from the original as it concentrates on the urban areas within the single flood compartment consisting of the towns of Fleetwood and Thornton – Cleveleys. These areas are protected by coastal flood embankments and land drainage systems as tabulated below: The Estuary Frontage from Stanah to Cartford Bridge PU 1.5 is not considered within this strategy update as the majority of the length does not affect the urban catchment area and is made up of undefended high ground – the earth embankments present provide protection to a largely rural area, within Fylde borough. In the majority of cases the hinterland is high and the economic case for maintaining the embankments is minimal (SMP2).

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

Table 1.1: Strategy Section and SEA Assessment units

Strategy Section and SEA Assessment units SMP2 Unit 0 Anchorsholme 11b2.4 (part) Anchorsholme Park to Kingsway 1 Cleveleys 11b2.5 Kingsway to Jubilee Gardens 2 Rossall South 11b2.6 Jubilee Gardens to Rossall 11b 2.7 Hospital 3 Rossall North 11b2.8 Rossall Hospital to Fleetwood 11b2.9(part) Golf Course 4 Fleetwood North 11b2.9(part) Fleetwood Golf Course to 11c1.1 Fleetwood Docks

11c1.2

11c1.3

5 Fleetwood Docks to 11c1.4(part) Springfield 6 Springfield to Stanah 11c1.4(part) 7 Royles Brook & Hillylaid NA 8 Springfield NA 9 Copse Brook NA

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

1.2 General

This Strategic Environmental Assessment comprises:

• A description of the baseline environment, concentrating on aspects of the environment that are relevant to, or may be affected by, coastal protection and flood defence plans;

• Consultation with relevant statutory bodies and other organisations with an interest in the coastal zone;

• Establishment of specific environmental objectives that the adopted coastal management strategy should aim to fulfil;

• Appraisal of specific strategy options, to evaluate the types of environmental impacts and benefits that they will generate;

• Recommendation of the most acceptable strategy option(s);

• Conclusions as to the positive and negative environmental implications of the proposed option; and

• Identification of environmental issues that need to be addressed (for example, generic mitigation measures or monitoring) as part of the implementation of the preferred option.

1.3 Approach

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) follows a similar approach to project-level environmental assessment, but differs from it in that it is a high level overview setting broad objectives and identifying generic approaches. Consultation is undertaken with the aim of agreeing the objectives with a wide variety of stakeholders, and ensuring that the strategy is environmentally sustainable. The information necessary to complete a project level environmental assessment, such as engineering scheme design details, is not available at this stage. However, the SEA fulfils an important role in ensuring that the agreed strategy is, at least in outline, environmentally acceptable. By identifying and considering the most important environmental issues at this stage, it is intended to prevent a situation in which detailed schemes are developed that subsequently have to be rejected or fundamentally re-designed to comply with legislation or other environmental requirements. By identifying strategic level issues that can be carried through to several projects or schemes, SEA also aims to minimise duplication of work later on. Hence, SEA occupies a central position in a

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

hierarchy of studies, between shoreline management planning on the one hand and project environmental assessment on the other.

1.4 Objectives

The specific objectives of this Strategic Environmental Assessment are:

• Identification of nature conservation assets and features, both statutory and non-statutory, that may be lost or significantly affected by erosion or flooding;

• Identification of archaeological or other cultural heritage sites that may be affected by erosion or flooding;

• Identification of any other environmental assets, including those relating to recreation and tourism, that may be affected by erosion or flooding;

• Development of environmental objectives for each unit of the frontage, to be used in developing and appraising strategy options;

• Review of Shoreline Management Plan policies, in relation to environmental assets, and identification of specific strategy options;

• Identification of legal issues and other constraints relating to strategy options (including the "do nothing" option);

• Contributing to the development of preferred strategic options for each unit of the frontage;

• Identification of significant environmental issues that are expected to arise in relation to the development of individual coastal defence or flood protection schemes, including recommending approaches to their assessment and mitigation; and

• Identification of the need for Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Water Framework Directive Assessment (WFD).

1.5 Format

This SEA Report comprises:

• An account of existing natural environmental conditions that are relevant to coastal management in the study area (Section 2);

• An account of existing developed/built environment conditions that are relevant to coastal management in the study area (Section 3);

• A review of current planning and legislation of relevance to the strategy (Section 4);

• A summary of consultation responses from interested organisations, together with comments (Section 5);

• Environmental objectives (Section 6);

• Evaluation of strategy options (Section 7);

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Wyre Flood Coastal Defence Strategy Study

• Mitigation (Section 8); and

• Conclusions (Section 9).

1.6 Sources of Information

Information on baseline conditions has been obtained from:

• Previous reports on the study area;

• Site visits;

• Correspondence and meetings with consultees; and

• Statutory policies, plans and citations relating to environmental designations.