Refreshing England’s Shoreline Management Plans

A recent review found that England’s second-generation Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) needed refreshing to stay relevant and usable. Working with Jacobs Engineering, we updated all 1500 policy units, helping local authorities to deliver the refresh.

Coastline adorned with sand showcasing the successful outcome of a sustainable shoreline management plan

The challenge: England’s Shoreline Management Plans needed updating

Between 2006 and 2012, England’s Coastal Groups, government bodies and other stakeholders developed twenty second-generation Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) – providing strategic guidance for the next 100 years of sustainable coastal management for England.

However, a recent review by the Environment Agency found nearly a third of the management policies contained in these SMPs needed refreshing. Indeed, around half were deemed undeliverable.

To ensure the SMPs remained strategically viable, the Environment Agency called in a partnership of Royal HaskoningDHV and Jacobs Engineering to help ensure the plans reflect current legislation and the UK’s latest economic and environmental objectives.

The solution: enabling simpler maintenance for lasting relevance

Working in partnership with Jacobs Engineering – with whom we originally produced 17 out of the 20 SMPs – we delivered a series of reviews to identify the necessary changes to bring the documents up to date.

When the SMPs were originally developed, it was clear that they would need to be reviewed for ongoing relevance as legislation, and economic and environmental objectives changed.

As part of our review, we made it easier for our client and its stakeholders to update plans to reflect any changes that may impact their strategic relevance – enabling a simpler, continuous approach to plan maintenance. We also advised the national Environment Agency on keeping the SMPs consistently relevant.

The result: relevant, reliable, and easily maintained SMPs

By updating its second-generation SMPs, the relevant authorities now have peace of mind knowing their strategic documents remain relevant and reliable.

It’s now simpler than ever to adapt the SMPs to changing economic and environmental factors too, such as policy transitions that are planned for 2025 and beyond, or emerging knowledge about climate change and its impact on the coast.

The health checks we performed will also inform land use and habitat planning, enable the delivery of new policies, and provide insight into which activities and solutions are best suited to address the challenges faced around England’s coastline. And ensure that all interests are balanced and policies are affordable and sustainable.