Strategic Environmental Assessment Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update Wyre Borough Council December 2011 Strategic Environmental Assessment Wyre Flood and Coastal Defence Strategy Study: 2011 Update Wyre Borough Council December 2011 Halcrow Group Limited North west regional office, Manchester Deanway Technology Centre, Wilmslow Road, Handforth Cheshire SK9 3FB tel 01625 540456 fax 01625 549325 halcrow.com Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of client for the client’s sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contained herein do so at their own risk. © Halcrow Group Limited 2011 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 1 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 2 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 3 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 4 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. 5 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 6 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.