Location reference:
Great Yarmouth
Policy Unit reference:
6.17
SUMMARY OF PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AND JUSTIFICATION
Plan:
Great Yarmouth is a major area of industry and commerce and has also recently seen the construction
of the Great Yarmouth Outer Harbour. Despite feed of sand from the north, the beach is not expected
to improve significantly compared to its present condition, becoming lower and narrower in places as
sea levels rise, although in the long-term it will benefit from increased sediment supply as a result of
the policy options to the north. Therefore the long-term Plan is to continue to protect assets within the
town from both erosion and from flooding.
Policies to implement Plan:
From present day:
The present-day policy option for this area is to continue to hold the line and
protect all built assets within the town. Achievement of this requires no
intervention along much of this frontage due to the wide beach, although some
defence works may be required at the southern end to maintain existing
seawalls and groynes and the port entrance. This policy option will protect the
maximum number of assets and satisfy nature conservation requirements at
North Denes as the area in front of the seawall is expected to remain fairly
stable during this period.
Monitoring of sediment movements down drift will be required in relation to the
Great Yarmouth North Denes SPA. It will be necessary to undertake further
studies into the potential consequences of holding the line and accretion levels
for the medium to long term, the results of which will be considered in the next
review of the SMP, which will be subject to the full HRA process (including the
identification of mitigation/compensation as necessary or appropriate)
This approach is consistent with the long-term Plan for this section of shoreline.
Medium-term:
The medium-term policy option is to continue defending the frontage beyond
the short term, through a policy of hold the line. This would most likely be
provided through maintaining, replacing and upgrading existing structures
where necessary, with the beach continuing to provide the primary defence to
much of the area.
This will continue to protect all built assets, but the beach is likely to begin to
narrow and steepen due to sea level rise and limited sediment feed as a result
of policy options further north. This may result in additional work being required
to improve some parts of the seawall to maintain its integrity as a defence,
particularly towards the northern and southern extremities. Any steepening of
the foreshore could also have implications for the area suitable for tern colony
nesting, for which the stretch is designated an SPA. The further studies
commenced in the short term will be continued and the need for any mitigation
measures, such as sediment bypassing or recharge, will be identified.
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.
Long-term:
Due to the high value and extent of socio-economic assets here, the long-term
policy option is to continue to hold the line and defend the frontage. This would
most likely be provided through maintaining, replacing and upgrading existing
structures, although the beach is expected to provide the primary defence to
much of the area. With adoption of long-term policy options along other updrift
frontages, the beach should be supplied with fresh sediment to remain healthy
over the next century.
However, although this policy option is considered sustainable for the
timescales discussed, in the very long-term (i.e. much greater than 100 years)
it is recognised that sea-level rise could make holding the existing line
increasingly difficult and expensive. Any beach erosion and steepening could
also result in a loss of areas suitable for tern colony nesting, for which
mitigation measures may well need to be put in place.
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:
Great Yarmouth
Policy Unit reference:
6.17
PREDICTED IMPLICATIONS OF THE PLAN FOR THIS LOCATION
Time
Period
By 2025
Property & Land Use
No loss of property or land
behind the existing defences.
Nature Conservation
Integrity of North Denes SPA and
SSSI maintained.
Landscape
No landscape objectives
identified.
Historic Environment
No loss of heritage sites behind
the existing defences.
No issue with port operation with
respect to defences.
Amenity & Recreational
Use
No loss of recreational or tourist
facilities behind existing
defences.
No loss of Great Yarmouth and
Caister Golf Course or Great
Yarmouth race course.
Narrower beach and access
maintained.
By 2055
No loss of property or land
behind the existing defences.
No issue with port operation with
respect to defences.
Integrity of North Denes SSSI
maintained behind the seawall
but possible losses of SPA area
on seaward side due to system
retreat.
No landscape objectives
identified.
No loss of heritage sites behind
the existing defences.
No loss of recreational or tourist
facilities behind existing
defences.
No loss of Great Yarmouth and
Caister Golf Course or Great
Yarmouth race course.
Narrow beach and access
maintained.
By 2105
No loss of property or land
behind the existing defences, but
potential increased risk of
overtopping.
No issue with port operation with
respect to defences.
Integrity of North Denes SSSI
maintained behind the seawall
but possible losses of SPA area
on seaward side due to system
retreat.
No landscape objectives
identified.
No loss of heritage sites behind
the existing defences.
No loss of recreational or tourist
facilities behind existing
defences, but increase risk of
overtopping for promenade
properties (without defence
improvements).
No loss of Great Yarmouth and
Caister Golf Course or Great
Yarmouth race course.
Little or no beach, particularly at
southern extremity.