Coastal-Management-Policy-In-Purbeck-Jan2021 V1
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Coastal Adaption Strategy, January 2021 1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Coastal Management in Purbeck ....................................................................................... 3 Annual review and priority actions for 2021 ........................................................................... 4 Looking back on 2020… ...................................................................................................................... 4 Priority actions for 2021… ................................................................................................................... 4 2. Background .................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Shifting Shores .................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Shoreline Management Plans ............................................................................................ 6 2.3 Climate Change and the Coast ........................................................................................... 7 2.4 Communication and Engagement Strategy ....................................................................... 8 2.5 Coastal Monitoring ............................................................................................................ 8 3. Our strategy for the Purbeck coast ................................................................................ 10 3.1 Middlebere Peninsula ...................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Brands Bay and Bramble Bush Bay .................................................................................. 15 3.3 South Haven Point ........................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Shell Bay ........................................................................................................................... 19 3.5 The Training Bank............................................................................................................. 23 3.6 Knoll Beach ....................................................................................................................... 24 3.7 Middle Beach ................................................................................................................... 31 3.8 Redend Point .................................................................................................................... 35 3.9 South Beach ..................................................................................................................... 37 3.10 The Warren to Handfast Point ....................................................................................... 39 3.11 Handfast Point to Shep’s Hollow ................................................................................... 41 3.12 Belle Vue to Winspit ....................................................................................................... 43 References ....................................................................................................................... 45 Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 46 Appendix .......................................................................................................................... 47 A. Sediment transport for the Studland Peninsula ................................................................ 47 B. Maintenance of gabion baskets under a managed realignment policy ............................ 48 2 All coastlines are subject to coastal change due to natural processes. The nature and rate of this change depends upon numerous interacting factors; including geomorphology, geology, climate and marine conditions. Human interference can also play a significant role in determining the rate of change experienced. Climate change will put increasing pressures on the coastline, such as sea-level rise and more frequent storms. We know that this is likely to increase the rate of coastal change, having a positive impact in some areas and creating challenges in others. This paper, which is reviewed annually, outlines the key pressures faced along the 24 kilometres of the Purbeck coastline that we care for and sets out how we plan to create a sustainable future for these places. On the Isle of Purbeck we have an incredible variety of coastal landscapes, including sandy beaches, towering limestone cliffs, rare lowland heath and rolling chalk grasslands. The area forms part of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is of exceptionally high nature conservation value due to its rich biodiversity. Much of the Studland Peninsula is a National Nature Reserve as well as a Special Area of Conservation and Ramsar site. The coastline west of Old Harry Rocks also forms part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site. Each of these areas will respond differently to climate change. Sea-level rise, for example, will have a significant impact on Poole Harbour’s low-lying salt marshes. Knoll Beach on the other hand is particularly vulnerable to an increased occurrence of storm events. The communities living on the Isle of Purbeck have a strong connection to the coast and Dorset’s maritime heritage. Ensuring that these communities and the public can be actively involved in discussions about coastal change is imperative to driving the development of innovative adaptation strategies. The area is also hugely popular with tourists, attracting millions of visitors throughout the year. Ensuring that everyone can enjoy and access the Purbeck coast, whilst balancing this against the needs of conservation, forms an integral part of our coastal strategy. Coastal management in Purbeck has been guided by the National Trust ‘Shifting Shores’ set of policies, as well as the local Shoreline Management Plan (SMP2). Developing sustainable and long-term plans is essential to this. We will also strive to work with nature wherever possible to create a healthier, more beautiful natural environment. Using this approach people, the environment, and financial considerations are viewed with equal weighting. This is to ensure that the most appropriate policy is arrived at by maximising the benefits of all three factors whilst minimising the risks. 3 The last year has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain time for many people and, at the time of writing this document, we are still facing an extremely challenging situation. Three national lockdowns have resulted in the temporary closure of some of our facilities at the coast. All non-essential projects within the National Trust were stopped or deferred. In Purbeck this included both the Middle Beach Facilities Project and the Knoll Beach Facilities Project. A positive to have come out of this last year however has been the recognition of the importance of protecting the natural world and making sure that everybody has access to it as a space for wellbeing. Whilst many of our usual daily tasks within the National Trust changed or stopped this has given us the time to pause and think about just how much the coast we care for means to society. In 2020 we’ve been thinking a lot about what we want the Studland peninsula to look like in the future and who we will need to work with to make that vision a reality. We want Studland to be an ecodestination; where the unique ecological aspects that give Studland its spirit of place are protected and enhanced, and where distinct local businesses and the community thrives. Whilst most projects were put on hold over the last year the Dynamic Dunescapes Project has been undertaking some very exciting work. When restrictions have allowed, our amazing teams of volunteers have been out monitoring the dunes and raising awareness of the issues currently threatening this ecosystem. In October, contractors began clearing vegetation in 12 areas of heathland near Shell Bay as the first phase of creating dry scrapes. Work was also undertaken at Little Sea to help reduced the number of carp in the lake. Coastal erosion at Middle Beach –Middle Beach continues to experience rapid coastal erosion. Over the last year we have removed both the old coastguard hut and the old sea school building that had become vulnerable to slope erosion. Access along part of the cliff to the toilets and café has also had to be closed. Now that the Facilities Project has had to be deferred an urgent priority is to develop a short-term management plan to ensure Middle Beach can be accessed safely, whilst continuing to work towards a long-term sustainable future for the site. Some of the beach huts have also recently become vulnerable to coastal erosion and options for relocation will need to be looked at as soon as possible. Developing our long-term vision for Studland – We want to combine the various projects that were taking place across the peninsula in order to create a masterplan for what we want Studland to look like in the future. Our next step towards developing this vision is to identify what key partners and stakeholders we want to work with to drive this forward. We will need to decide what actions we can take in the short, medium and long-term to adapt to coastal change, and who will lead on these tasks. We need to identify what areas we need to consult