Location reference:
Bacton, Walcott and Ostend
Policy Unit reference:
6.11
SUMMARY OF PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AND JUSTIFICATION
Plan:
The long-term Plan for this area is to allow shoreline retreat once present defences reach the end of
their present effective life. This is essential to ensure that problems here and elsewhere are not
exacerbated by impairing the movement of beach sediment, which will occur if this shoreline continues
to be held in its present position. This policy option will result in the loss of a large number of
properties and associated facilities within these settlements. However, the properties and associated
facilities located along this length of coast that are at risk from erosion and flooding do not generate
sufficient economic benefit to justify prioritised investment in their long-term defence. This area already
suffers from low beach levels and it would become increasingly difficult to sustain defences along the
present line without considerable investment. For the immediate future defences are to be maintained
as far as possible within existing economic justification, whilst measures are put in place to manage
this risk and mitigate the displacement of people and loss of property and facilities in the medium-term.
There is already overtopping into the Upper Ant, which flows into the Broads, and any worsening of
this has the potential to impact on the SPA.
Policies to implement Plan:
From present day:
From the present day, the policy option is to continue to maintain existing
defences, i.e. the seawall, groynes and northern end of the timber revetment at
Ostend, through a hold the line policy. This will protect most of the assets
behind the present defence line, although some properties will become
vulnerable to erosion at the southern end of this frontage. The groynes may
help to retain some beach material, but the beaches are likely to become lower
and narrower than the present day. It will therefore become technically more
difficult and thus considerably more expensive to protect beyond this period.
Should a more major failure of the existing defences occur, the seawall would
not be rebuilt as a permanent structure. However, wherever practicable,
temporary structures that assist in delaying the erosion would be used locally
(e.g. placement of rock, beach recharge etc) to delay further damage whilst
approaches to manage and mitigate losses are developed and supporting
economic analyses undertaken
In parallel, investigations will be undertaken to identify technical options and
establish an appropriate package of social mitigation measures, in preparation
for the transition to the medium to long term policy option of managed
realignment (see sections below). Only when such adequate mitigating social
measures are identified, which minimise the impact on the lives of individuals
an communities, would the change to a medium to long term policy option of
managed realignment be implemented.
As the medium and long term policy is for managed realignment, ongoing
monitoring of the sea wall, saline inundation and habitat monitoring will be
undertaken starting in the short term, to look at the potential impacts on The
Broads SAC/Broadland SPA/Ramsar. Studies to look at the future evolution of
The above provides the local details in respect of the SMP-wide Plan; therefore the above must be read in the context of the
wider-scale issues and policy implications, as presented in the preceding sections and Appendices to this Plan document.
the coast will be carried out. The results of these studies will be considered in
the next review of the SMP and appropriate avoidance, mitigation and habitat
compensation identified.
Due to the rapid response of this shoreline to erode and resume a natural
position once defences are no longer in place, this short term policy option is
not considered to be detrimental to the long-term Plan.
Medium-term:
As the long-term Plan is to allow sediment transport along this frontage, this
would be a transitional period, whereby once existing defences reach the end
of their life they are not replaced, as replacement is unlikely to be economically
viable nor would it be technically suitable. It is presently predicted that all
defences are likely to have failed by between years 20 and 40. The proposed
policy option for this section of coast is therefore managed realignment. .
However, this retreat will result in the loss of assets and, as such, defence
measures that temporarily slow (rather than halt) erosion might be acceptable,
if they can be economically justified, and provided that these do not prevent the
alongshore transport of beach sediment and do not result in the development of
this area as a promontory. These measures will be used for as long as possible
to allow social and economic mitigation measures to be identified to minimise
the impact on the lives of individuals and communities.
Long-term:
Subject to the identification of suitable social and economic mitigation
measures, the long-term policy option is to allow the coastline to naturally
retreat to ensure sediment supply to this, and downdrift frontages. This will
deliver technical and environmental benefits, but a number of assets will be at
risk. Therefore there needs to be a continuation of measures to manage losses,
including erosion-slowing defences, where this can be justified. The policy is
therefore one of managed realignment.
Ultimately, the shoreline will reach a position generally in line with adjacent
shorelines. The increased throughput of sediment from adoption of similar
policy options to the north should help beaches to build along this frontage, so
that erosion, and therefore property loss, here should not continue to be
accelerated over and above natural rates.
Once the shoreline reaches a more sustainable position, it may be acceptable
to help retain beaches, if necessary, with structures such as short groynes,
provided that these are not detrimental to continued adequate sediment
throughput to areas downdrift. These should not halt erosion but would help to
manage it in a sustainable manner. Therefore the policy option is managed
realignment.
The above provides the local details in respect of the SMP-wide Plan; therefore the above must be read in the context of the
wider-scale issues and policy implications, as presented in the preceding sections and Appendices to this Plan document.
The above provides the local details in respect of the SMP-wide Plan; therefore the above must be read in the context of the
wider-scale issues and policy implications, as presented in the preceding sections and Appendices to this Plan document.
The above provides the local details in respect of the SMP-wide Plan; therefore the above must be read in the context of the
wider-scale issues and policy implications, as presented in the preceding sections and Appendices to this Plan document.
Location reference:
Bacton, Walcott and Ostend
Policy Unit reference:
6.11
PREDICTED IMPLICATIONS OF THE PLAN FOR THIS LOCATION
Time
Period
By 2025
By 2055
Property & Land Use
Nature Conservation
Landscape
Historic Environment
Amenity & Recreational
Use
No loss of property or land
behind the existing defences
between Bacton and Walcott.
Loss of up to circa 35 properties
at Ostend.
No nature conservation
objectives identified.
No landscape objectives
identified.
No heritage objectives identified.
Narrow beach present.
Cumulative loss of up to circa
195 seafront residential and 20
commercial properties. Loss of
associated infrastructure.
No nature conservation
objectives identified.
No landscape objectives
identified.
No heritage objectives identified.
Improved beach but access
would need to be relocated,
Biodiversity opportunity through
management of low-lying land as
a saline habitat.
No landscape objectives
identified.
No heritage objectives identified.
Beach present but access would
need to be relocated.
Loss of some caravan park land.
Loss of main link road between
Walcott and Bacton and also the
emergency access route from
Bacton Gas Terminal.
By 2105
Cumulative loss of between circa
195 and 385 seafront residential
and circa 20 to 25 commercial
properties and associated
infrastructure.
Further loss of some caravan
park land.
Existing link between Walcott and
Bacton and also the emergency
access route from Bacton Gas
Terminal lost by 2055.