Saltfleet to Gibraltar Point Strategy and Lincolnshire Beach Management 2020

Overview

Saltfleet to Gibraltar Point Strategy

The Lincolnshire coastal flood plain has had a long history of flooding from the sea and many forms of defence are now in place including sand dunes, seawalls, rock/timber structures and beaches. By restoring beach levels lost over the year, the Environment Agency protects its hard sea defences from the impact of waves and tides. The coastline between Mablethorpe and Skegness has benefited from beach nourishment, the present flood risk management approach, since 1994.

We recognise that this approach may not be sustainable in the future. With the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and increasingly frequent storms, more and more sand is likely to be needed each year to restore beaches to their appropriate sand levels. The overall cost as well as the carbon footprint of the beach nourishment works would increase significantly over time.

We have reviewed and considered the latest information, knowledge, understanding, and people’s aspirations to manage this shoreline and determined a new vision for the future of flood risk management on the Lincolnshire coast which will be more sustainable. The strategy sets out a plan to change the management regime where we may introduce structures onto beaches, in combination with continued beach nourishment, to form a sustainable flood risk management approach for the next 100 years.

Our strategy has been reviewed in line with government requirements and has been developed in part through formal consultation with statutory bodies. We have completed a series of statutory stakeholder engagement workshops and public consultation events involving business, tourism and community representatives as well as members of the general public. This has provided a wealth of local views and preferences to be collated and considered to help determine the strategic approach to future management. We will continue our conversations with partners, statutory stakeholders and local communities as the works arising from the strategy are developed in detail. Formal consents, including planning permission supported by Environmental Statements, will be required which will provide further opportunities for public comment. Moving to the new approach will be a gradual process over many years whilst further information to help with the design process is assembled. During this transition period the existing practice of beach nourishment will continue alongside maintenance of the sea walls and drainage outfalls.

Lincolnshire Beach Management Campaign 2020

Due to the unprecedented restrictions that have been implemented by the Government, the beach nourishment scheme that was due to start after Easter this year has been postponed. 

We are now putting plans in place to start in September 2020. Mobilisation and site set up is due to commence mid-August with dredging starting at the beginning of September, if we can bring this date forward and start earlier we will notify you.

Based on our survey data, this year the beach will be nourished at Boygrift, Sutton on Sea, Mablethorpe, Trusthorpe, Wolla Bank/Chapel Six Marshes, Trunch Lane, Ingoldmells and Huttoft.

As in previous years, a dredger will transport the sand from offshore sites and pump it onto the beach at high tide through a 630m long pipeline. Our contractors will then push the sand into the right beach profile, using bulldozers and excavators. Through this work we will replace sand lost to erosion, reducing wave overtopping during storms and protecting the sea defences from being damaged.  For safety reasons, sections of beach will be cordoned off from public access during the works.

During this year's campaign we will be carrying out some investigation works on the sea wall defences and to be able to do this work safely we will have to close off sections of the path for short lengths of time. We will be keeping you and the local authorities informed as these works progress and will also advise Natural England of the proposed impacts on the national coast path.

If you have any questions about these works, don’t hesitate to contact our Engagement Officer Monica Stonham email – saltfleetgps@gmail.com or telephone – 07534 457348. Alternatively, you can contact us at the address below.

Please click here to see the Saltfleet to Gibraltar Point Strategy Non-technical Summary and Environmental Report or see the links at the bottom of the page.

Why your views matter

We have consulted to get feedback from all of those individuals, groups and organisations, who are affected by, or interested in, our strategy. We welcomed your views.

What happens next

The results and the final strategy can be found on the link below:

Consultation Response