Bolt Head to Wembury Point 14
General actions for this subsection
There are no actions generic to the whole of this subsection. For 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.
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
Appendices
- Appendix A - SMP Development
- Appendix B - Stakeholder Engagement
- Appendix C - Baseline Process Understanding
- Appendix D - Sea Environmental Baseline Report
- Appendix E - Issues and Objectives Evaluation
- Appendix F - Initial Policy Appraisal and Scenario Development
- Appendix G - Preferred Policy Scenario Testing
- Appendix H - Economic Appraisal and Sensitivity Testing
- Appendix I - Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
- Appendix J - Appropriate Assessment Report
- Appendix K - Water Framework Directive Assessment Report
- Appendix L - Metadata and Bibliographic Databases
- Appendix M - Action Plan Summary Tables
Supporting Documents
About this subsection
This stretch of coast is formed mainly of cliffs with negligible rates or erosion but intersected by pockets of softer geology and the mouths of the rivers Avon, Yealm and Erme. Much of the coastline is relatively undeveloped and is characterised by cliffs of outstanding landscape and geological and geomorphological value.
The eastern area is formed of high cliffs between Bolt Head and Bolt Tail, west of which are the main settlements on this stretch of coast, at Hope Cove and Thurlestone. The visitor infrastructure at South Milton Sands is at risk from ongoing coastal change and adaptive methods of management have been trialled here. The low cliffs in this area have extensive rock platforms up to Bantham beach at the mouth of the Avon, a feature also common west of Bigbury-on-Sea and Challaborough holiday park. Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers form the other settlements on this coast, within the sheltered saltwater valley of the River Yealm. Apart from occasional isolated buildings, the cliff top is undeveloped with agriculture extending to the cliff edge in most of the area west of Hope Cove.
The entire shoreline is a Special Area of Conservation for its internationally important wildlife. Both the Erme and Avon Estuaries are designated as Marine Conservation Zones, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.