Shoreline Management Plan

What is a Shoreline Management Plan?

A Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is a high-level, non-statutory, policy document planning the future management of the coastline and coastal defences. It promotes mangement policies into the 22nd century that achieve long term objectives without committing future generations to unsustainable practices.

Why do we need Shoreline Mangement Plans?

The Changing Coastline

The coastline is undergoing constant change from the natural processes of waves, tides and winds. The amount of change depends on the driving forces, such as storms and sea level rise, and constraints imposed by geology and degree of human intervention.

Whilst these changes continue, social, economic and environmental pressures are increasing in coastal areas. Development on the coast and within estuaries drives a need for protection against coastal flooding and erosion. Building coastal defences is increasingly expensive and places stress on coastal recreation features and natural habitats that are often nationally or internationally important.

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

Much of the present shoreline of the UK has been shaped by sea level rise following the last ice age. New studies show that sea level rise is rapidly increasing again due to climate change. This will result in significant changes to the coast, such as:

Greater frequency of storms
Increased wave heights
Increased erosion
Increased rainfall
Increased fluvial flows

Increasing sea levels mean that coastal defences have to be larger, costing more money to maintain and making the consequence of a failure of defences more catastrophic to the people and places they protect. These defences frequently prevent the movement of coastal habitats, which can cause a problem called 'Coastal Squeeze' where important wildlife habitat is lost under rising water.

What does this mean?

The coastline is changing and it will not stay as it is. If we continue to defend into the future as we have done in the past, the result will be:

Hard defended areas becoming headlands
Loss of intertidal areas and beaches in front of defences
Increased stress on the shoreline, where beaches are lost and the coastline is more exposed to storms
Increased flooding and erosion hazards
The need for more substantial and expensive defences

This means we need a 100 year plan to co-ordinate how the coast is managed and take the opportunity to get the best out of it.

Cell 11 Shoreline Mangement Plan

Recognising the need to review the existing SMP, Halcrow Group Ltd have been commissioned to review and revise the SMP for the North West of England and North Wales shoreline.

The SMP will set the policy for managing the coast. The Plan will identify how the estuary and coastal shorelines would be best managed over time to avoid negative effects (increased erosion and flooding affecting people, property and the coastal environment) and maximise the beneficial effects (better beaches, better habitats, flood and coastal protection) of coastal management.

How to get involved

If you live near to, or have an interest in North West England and North Wales coast, we invite you to have an input in the SMP process.

If you would like to participate in the consultation for the preparation of the revised Shoreline Management Plan for the North West coast please contact: