Poole and Wareham Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy

Statement of Environmental Particulars Final March 2015

We are the Environment Agency. We protect and improve the environment and make it a better place for people and wildlife. We operate at the place where environmental change has its greatest impact on people’s lives. We reduce the risks to people and properties from flooding; make sure there is enough water for people and wildlife; protect and improve air, land and water quality and apply the environmental standards within which industry can operate. Acting to reduce climate change and helping people and wildlife adapt to its consequences are at the heart of all that we do. We cannot do this alone. We work closely with a wide range of partners including government, business, local authorities, other agencies, civil society groups and the communities we serve.

Published by: Environment Agency Further copies of this report are available Horizon house, Deanery Road, from our publications catalogue: Bristol BS1 5AH www.gov.uk/government/publications Email: [email protected] or our National Customer Contact Centre: www.gov.uk/environment-agency T: 03708 506506

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Contents

Introduction ...... 4 The Environment during the development of the Plan ...... 4 Mitigation and enhancement...... 4 Consultation responses ...... 7 Trans-boundary consultation responses ...... 8 Reasons for selecting the adopted plan in light of reasonable alternatives ...... 8 Environmental monitoring measures during Plan implementation ...... 8

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Statement of environmental particulars for the Poole and Wareham Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy

Introduction This statement of particulars indicates how environmental and consultee considerations were taken into account during the preparation of the plan and how the Environment Agency selected the approach adopted in the final plan. The statement goes on to set out the monitoring procedures that have been set in place to monitor the significant environmental effects of the implementation of the plan/programme.

The environment Integration of environmental considerations during the Environmental considerations were integrated throughout the development of development of this plan by following the Environment Agency’s SEA operational instruction. the plan This document ensures the potential significant effects of the plan on the environment are considered throughout its development.

Influence of the environmental report The environmental report that was open to public consultation influenced the development of the plan by identifying environmental enhancements and setting out requirements for mitigation, where significant negative effects were identified.

Mitigation and Enhancement Environmental Topic Agreed Responsibility for Mitigation/Enhancement implementation activity Population and Human Health

Some isolated properties These properties will require Property owners. across the southern side of local resistance or resilience

Poole Harbour and at measures to be implemented Studland will be affected by by their private owners. increased flooding and/or Some local raising of roads as Local Authority or erosion in the long term, as may also be required such as Highways Agency policies leading to a more at Arne village, which may ‘natural’ shoreline are become tidally cut-off in delivered. extreme events in the long- term. Changes in coastal processes Care will be taken at project Environment Agency in areas of NAI have the level to implement managed potential to affect fishing realignment schemes that activities and the distribution avoid compromising of commercial fish/shellfish in commercial fishing activity the harbour – these impacts (e.g. access to fishing (which may be positive and grounds) and shellfisheries in negative) remain uncertain the harbour. but would also occur in the We will closely monitor 4 of 10

absence of the Strategy. changes in geomorphology to improve our understanding of However, further such the implications of the changes may occur change. associated with proposed MR sites along the estuarine Before, during and after shoreline at Ridge and in delivery of MR we will monitor Lytchett Bay. Changes in water quality at commercial coastal processes here might (shell)fishery locations affect water quality locally and associated with MR sites and in the wider harbour, with the monitor fisheries potential for changes in productivity/quality adjacent fisheries and associated loss to MR sites. of commercial fishing revenue. Biodiversity Flora and Fauna

Continuing to hold the line at Managed realignment will Environment Agency Sandbanks to Hamworthy mitigate the effects of coastal and at Wareham may defences elsewhere in Poole significantly adversely affect Harbour. This will create intertidal habitats for birds compensatory intertidal and other species in the mudflat, saltmarsh and Poole Harbour SPA and grazing marsh. The Strategy Ramsar site as a result of identifies indicative areas and habitat loss due to coastal defence alignments, with squeeze (i.e. hard flood further information on specific defences restricting the sites to be identified as natural development of individual sites are taken intertidal habitats as sea level forward. These MR sites will rises in the future). be taken forward as projects. Defence maintenance and improvements around the eastern side of Poole Harbour may also result in small additional encroachment into the Poole Harbour SPA and Ramsar site. Preferred compensatory We already undertake water Environment Agency plus habitat sites may be quality monitoring within other strategic delivery vulnerable to the formation of Poole Harbour. Additional partners. algal mats if they are in areas sites will be added as with low rates of flushing and required to provide if hyper-eutrophication in the information on water quality harbour is not reduced (in particular nutrients) associated with the selected compensatory habitat sites. This will provide us with an improved understanding of nutrient levels in these areas. If further nutrient reduction actions need to be delivered this will be through Water Framework Directive and Catchment Sensitive Farming

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delivery projects. Historic Environment

The gabion works proposed Detailed design at the project Environment Agency and/or at Hengistbury Head may level may be able to lessen or appropriate Risk encroach on the boundary of avoid potential impacts. Management Authority. the Scheduled Monument. Scheduled Monument

Elsewhere construction work Consent will be required. may affect local intertidal archaeological remains.

The managed realignment There may be some delivery project(s) will Environment Agency potentially adverse effects on encompass archaeological archaeological remains and assessment (including, if areas of historic landscape in necessary, field particular in locations investigations) to establish proposed for managed appropriate mitigation related realignment where historically to new defence alignments reclaimed land and shorelines and footprints, (palaeo)- will be lost as will near to archaeological recording, etc. shore archaeological remains.

No single body or Some prehistoric burial No specific mitigation organisation is identified at mounds on Arne peninsula identified at this stage. If the moment for managing the will remain at risk of flooding deem that protection or other risks of natural erosion on and coastal erosion through mitigation is desirable against historic sites. A local solution the continuation of No Active natural shoreline evolution, may be appropriate in this Intervention policy. this might be developed instance. Further advice may locally. be available from Historic England.

Landscape and Visual Amenity

In those areas where the Potential adverse landscape Environment Agency and/or standard of flood protection and visual impacts including appropriate Risk will be maintained loss of vegetation and land Management Authority. (Hengistbury Head to cover will be avoided or offset Sandbanks, eastern Poole through the incorporation of Harbour, Hamworthy, Lytchett project level mitigation Bay, Wareham and Swanage) including: possible use of there is potential for effects suitable material finishes to on landscape character and hard defences; subtle visual amenity. earthworks designs to avoid Consequences could be harshly engineered profiles; greatest in areas within the sensitive alignment and Dorset AONB and along the footprint of the works to avoid Jurassic Coast World valued vegetation. Raised Heritage Site. defences will where required be sympathetically designed to maintain key views including the geological features of the Jurassic 6 of 10

coastline. Access and Recreation In such areas the footpaths or Dorset County Council and cycle ways may need to be Purbeck District Council. In a few areas there will be an relocated inland or along the ongoing risk to parts of the new shoreline alignment. South West Coast Path (e.g. at The Pinnacles and the seafront north of Swanage) and some Sustrans cycle routes (e.g. at Arne and Middlebere) in areas of continued No Active Intervention. Potentially adverse impacts Designs at project level will The Environment Agency, on the geological exposures ensure that any works do not Poole, Bournemouth, or of Poole Bay Cliffs SSSI, by obscure the geological Christchurch Borough constraining erosion through exposures, although as the Councils depending on continuing to defend objective is to constrain location of works. Bournemouth Sea Front. erosion some impacts will remain. Natural England will The replacement of rock filled be consulted with regard to gabion baskets along the toe any changes in condition of of the cliffs at Hengistbury the SSSIs as a result of our Head has the potential to management activities and affect the geological how these should be exposures of Christchurch mitigated, and such measures Harbour SSSI. monitored.

Consultation responses Responses to consultation period (February 2013 until April 2013) In total 147 consultation responses were received during the 6 week period of consultation on the draft plan and its accompanying environmental report. The majority of consultation responses related to data gaps/further information that the Environment Agency may wish to take into account during the finalisation of the plan. Such issues were updated as appropriate. The table below indicates where consultation responses led to wider changes to the plan.

Consultee Summary of comments Action taken to finalise Plan Private Business Concerns were raised over The preferred option was the deviation from the SMP amended to be specifically policy of Managed managed realignment, as in Realignment through the the Shoreline Management inclusion of the policy of no Plan, no active intervention active intervention for the for the Ham Common section policy unit Ham Common to was removed. Rockley Point.

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Trans- The SEA did not identify any significant environmental effects that required boundary trans-boundary consultation on this plan. Due to this, no consultation consultation responses were received via this consultation route. responses

Reasons for The approach adopted in the final plan was considered against a number of selecting the reasonable alternatives during its development. The major reasons for adopted plan in selecting the adopted plan over the reasonable alternatives were that the light of alternative solutions: reasonable Had an adverse impact on the environment and did not meet environmental alternatives legislative requirements, notably the Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (amended in 2012) and the Water Environment (WFD)(England and Wales) Regulations 2003. Did not adequately address flood and coastal erosion risk to people, property and critical infrastructure within an FCRMU, now and in the future. Were not flexible enough to cope with changes in our knowledge. Were assessed to be technically or economically unfeasible. Further details on the selection of the preferred option, which was developed into the adopted plan, are presented in the environmental report. Information on how to access a copy of the environmental report can be found in the post-adoption statement, which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications

Environmental The table below sets out the indicators that will be monitored to ensure monitoring that unforeseen significant environmental effects are not generated during measures during implementation. These indicators will also monitor the success of Plan mitigation measures and environmental enhancements in the adopted implementation plan. Developments implemented as a result of the plan will be assessed for environmental impacts at a project level using the Environment Agency’s internal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) operational instruction.

Environmental Indicator Monitoring method Responsibility effect/mitigation/ enhancement There is the potential Water quality Water quality at Environment Agency for changes in coastal commercial processes during MR (shell)fishery to affect water quality locations associated with the potential for with MR sites (before, changes in fisheries during & after delivery and associated loss of MR) of commercial fishing Fisheries revenue productivity/quality adjacent to MR sites

Potential damage to Changes in condition Where adverse Environment Agency, Poole Bay Cliffs SSSI of the SSSI impacts are Poole, Bournemouth,

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by defence works anticipated, based or Christchurch undertaken along initially on scheme Borough Councils Bournemouth outline and then depending on Seafront detailed designs, location of works. Natural England will Potential damage to be consulted with Christchurch Harbour regard to any SSSI by works to the changes in condition toe of the cliff at of the SSSI as a Hengistbury Head result of our management activities and how these should be mitigated, and such measures monitored

Loss of intertidal Designated intertidal Monitoring of habitat Environment Agency habitat SPA and habitat type and types, extents and Ramsar sites due to extent. distribution to confirm coastal squeeze and whether predicted direct loss in footprint losses are occurring of raised or new and to ensure that the defences (with rate of habitat associated bird creation keeps pace disturbance) with measured losses. Success of habitat Habitat created Monitoring of success Environment Agency creation schemes to of intertidal habitat achieve target creation at MR sites conditions. will be undertaken through post- implementation survey and aerial photography.

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