Lowestoft to Felixstowe SMP7
General actions for this SMP
This shows the actions generic to the whole of this SMP. For further actions relating to specific locations, select an area on the map above or use the postcode/location search and click on the Action Plan tab.
All actions are subject to funding and approval, often by other parties than the Lead Organisation shown.
| Reference Number | Action Description | Action Lead Organisation | Action Progress Status | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Maintain engagement/dialogue with affected communities, as attitudes and residents change over time. Develop a Strategic Communications and Engagement Plan to ensure the SMP has profile with those making investment and planning decisions, and is used and understood by those living or working at the coast (or seeking to do so) within the SMP area. | East Suffolk Council | Planned/programmed | Medium-high |
| 9 | Continue to ensure privately promoted (or funded) schemes are subject to the same rules and governance to fully comply with the principles and overriding intent of management, both initially and subsequently, including requirements for future decommissioning of defences where required. | East Suffolk Council | Progressing | Medium |
| 10 | Carry out a strategic-level review of the Habitats Regulations Assessment of the SMP to ensure it reflects any changes made to the Plan’s management intent or impacts of existing management intent on newly designated protected European Sites. | East Suffolk Council and Environment Agency | Not yet started | Medium |
| 11 | Carry out a strategic-level review to ensure the SMP reflects the opportunities to meet objectives set out in the River Basin Management Plan coving the SMP’s Transitional and Coastal Waters. | Environment Agency | Not yet started | Medium |
| 76 | Ensure that local and regional development planning documents take account of SMP policies and flood erosion risks, including the designation of Coastal Change Management Areas where potential, predicted or residual risk from flood, landslip or erosion requires consideration in development consents and future planning. | SMP7 Management Group | Progressing | Medium |
| 77 | Use data from Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme and local studies to inform improvements to Environment Agency flood and erosion risk data to support published projections of risk that inform SMP management approaches. | SMP7 Management Group | Progressing | Medium |
| 78 | Develop, monitor and review emergency response plans to prepare for extreme events that exceed designed standards of protection. Maintain links between SMP activities and emergency response plans to help prepare for extreme events, promote awareness of the Flood Warning Service and ensure clarity over roles and responsibilities in response and recovery. | Environment Agency | Progressing | Medium |
| 4 | Consider approach and appropriateness of management triggers for management transitions in line with new Supplementary Shoreline Management Plan Guidance. Develop localised adaptation strategies for locations within the SMP where a transition from one management approach to another will or may be needed, reflecting locally agreed options and triggers for intervention. | East Suffolk Council | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 5 | Review and (if necessary) extend monitoring programme to enable a more proactive approach to shoreline management and link this to local management triggers. | East Suffolk Council | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 6 | Review new and current information emerging from monitoring, studies and strategies, taking an anticipatory approach to where issues are developing. | East Suffolk Council | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 7 | Help secure funding and capacity for ongoing implementation of the Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme, ensuring its design continues to capture information required to inform management of key areas of risk or uncertainty within the SMP. | Environment Agency | Progressing | Medium-low |
| 12 | Update projections of habitat change using evidence from the Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme and local studies with reference to the latest sea level rise projections to inform the Habitat Compensation and Restoration Programme. | Natural England | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 13 | Identify potential areas of habitat creation and restoration that could be delivered through Local Nature Recovery Strategies, for Biodiversity Net Gain from development planning, and other initiatives, and align these with the Habitat Compensation and Restoration Programme. | Natural England | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 14 | Use outcomes from the Shoreline Management Plan refresh to identify priority locations for adaptation and habitat creation, with attention to how compensation and restoration opportunities might be linked spatially and financially, and potential Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management benefit (either in relation to direct protection or costs avoided now or in longer term). | Natural England | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 15 | Update the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the SMP to ensure it reflects any changes made to the Plan’s management intent or impacts of existing management intent on Highly Protected Marine Areas, Marine Conservation Zones and SSSIs. | Natural England | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 16 | Develop and maintain an understanding of the impact of Shoreline Management Plan implementation on coastal geodiversity across the area, including important geological features and coastal processes. | Natural England | Not yet started | Medium-low |
| 1 | Establish and maintain an SMP Group within the East Anglia Coastal Group to monitor, report and co-ordinate implementation of SMP actions and management approaches, review and manage changes to the SMP, and promote the SMP in investment programmes and local development planning. | East Suffolk Council | Complete | Low |
| 2 | Establish a communications and engagement approach to ensure that elected members of local councils are aware of and understand the management approaches agreed in the SMP, and the opportunities and implications for their local area. | East Suffolk Council | Progressing | Low |
| 3 | Engage with the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to ensure the investment needs arising from the SMP – including resource to update and maintain the SMP - are reflected in flood and coastal erosion risk management investment planning. | East Suffolk Council | Progressing | Low |
Download SMP documents
The information on this website represents the current SMP management approaches adopted by the local authorities within its area, and current actions needed to deliver them. These management approaches have been approved by the Environment Agency under its Strategic Overview for coastal flood and erosion risk management and are considered to be local policy.
The documents below provide the full SMP adopted locally and approved by the Environment Agency at the time of publication. Some of the information has changed in response to new government policy, new evidence or new work identified.
Data on this page
Main report
- Aid to Navigation (showing how the sections of the SMP fit together)
- Executive Summary
- Section 1 - Introduction
- Section 2 - Environmental Assessment
- Section 3 - Basis for Development of the Plan
- Section 4 - Policy Development Zones
- Section 5 - Summary of Preferred Plan and Implications
- Section 6 - Policy Summary
- Section 7 - Action Plan
Subsection reports
Appendices
- Appendix A - SMP Development
- Appendix B - Key Stakeholder Consulation Report
- Appendix B - Public Consultation Report
- Appendix B - Stakeholder Engagement
- Appendix C - Baseline Processes
Appendix C - Annex 1 - Coastal Change Maps:
- Appendix D - Natural and Built Environment Baseline
- Appendix E - Features Issues and Objectives
- Appendix F - Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Appendix G - Scenario Testing
- Appendix H - Economic Assessment
- Appendix I- Estuaries Assessment
- Appendix J - Appropriate Assessment
- Appendix K - Metadatabase and Bibliography
- Appendix L - Water Framework Directive Assessment
Changes and addendums
About this SMP
This Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) covers the Suffolk coastline between the Port at Lowestoft and the mouth of the Stour and Orwell Estuaries at Landguard Point at Felixstowe.
You can read the full SMP document by selecting the Download tab. This SMP was completed in 2012 and received formal adoption and sign off from relevant local authorities and the Environment Agency.
Managing shorelines in this area
The SMP for this area presents agreed approaches to managing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion at the shoreline and in estuaries over the short, medium, and long term, considering the implications of climate change.
In some locations, the approaches set out in the SMP change over time, for example from holding the current shoreline position with defences to realigning it or allowing the coast to change more naturally.
The SMP shows where this may affect people, property or the natural environment and the action plan includes measures to manage the local effects of coastal change. Local development planning can then be used to help avoid or address these effects, for example by identifying where new or relocated buildings can be built and defining any conditions to promote safety or sustainability. More localised Coastal Strategies may also be developed to identify how the approach in the SMP should be funded and implemented in more detail. You can find these under the Related Links tab for the SMP.
The objectives of the SMP can be found in the national SMP Guidance document (Volume 1, section 2.1). In summary, they are to identify preferred approaches for:
- managing flood and erosion risk to existing properties and other assets
- identifying approaches that are economically, technically and environmentally sustainable
- protecting and enhancing the natural features and character of the coast through these approaches where possible
Managing inland flood risk
To find out more about managing future flood risk inland, see the Flood Risk Management Plan.
Developing this SMP
The group that developed and agreed this SMP included:
- East Suffolk Council (previously Suffolk Coastal & Waveney District)
- Suffolk County Council
- British Energy (ceased in 2009)
- English Heritage
- Environment Agency
- Natural England
The group consulted the public and engaged with a range of stakeholders interested in the area’s coastal management while developing this SMP. The SMP was approved by the Environment Agency and formally adopted by each local authority. You can find further details of how the group developed the SMP in Appendix B of the document. This can be found by selecting the Download tab.