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Subsection

Clodgy Point to Godrevy Point (St Ives Bay) PDZ10

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

Summaries

Supporting documents

About this subsection

This sub-section of the SMP comprises around 15km of open coast within St Ives Bay, plus several km of tidal shoreline within the Hayle Estuary. It is split into 19 smaller local shoreline management units.

This coastline is made up of both developed coastline and extensive dunes. The area contains all of the beaches, harbours and cliffs of the coastal towns of St Ives, Carbis Bay and Hayle, where the highest number of defences are located. Hayle’s defences include a tide gate at the Copperhouse Pool. The more developed area of St Ives also encompasses the sandy beaches of Porthmeor, Porth Gwidden, St Ives Harbour and Porthminster.

North and east of St Ives, the large extensive sandy beaches of Carbis Bay, Porth Kidney, Hayle, Gwithian and Godrevy dominate the frontage, along with the associated dune systems (known locally as towans) of Hayle, Riviere, Mexico, Phillack, Upton, Gwithian and Godrevy, and the Hayle Estuary. A branch line railway follows the Hayle estuary shoreline from St Erth to Porth Kidney and then continues along the open coast to St Ives, directly adjacent to the cliff edge in places.

Whilst this area is mostly sheltered from the worst extremes of the westerly Atlantic wave climate, high water levels combined with large, long-period waves and north westerly winds can cause flooding of the low St Ives quaysides. Rare north-easterly storms, characterised by steeper, shorter-period waves, to which St Ives has very direct exposure, can also be problematic. Hayle is very sheltered from open coast waves, but extreme still water levels can cause flooding. Erosion affects the frontage in discrete areas, most notably at Godrevy Cliffs at the northern end of St Ives Bay where wave energy and storm exposure is highest.

The overarching management principle is therefore to allow the natural evolution of the coast, to support the multiple objectives of the numerous designations, whilst also supporting the coastal communities in the area and their adaptation to coastal change. Supporting tourist amenities (and particularly those associated with the World Heritage Site features) is important in assisting the adaption of communities.

The National Heritage Coast objectives are felt to appropriately define the key values and management principles. In summary these are to conserve the natural environment, facilitate the public’s enjoyment and appreciation of the area, maintain the health of the inshore waters and beaches, and to take account of the needs of agriculture and fishing, and of the economic and social needs of the small communities. It is intended that broadly speaking, the management intents for each of the smaller units contained within this sub-section should work together in combination, to enable delivery of these strategic objectives for the wider area, alongside their primary purpose of describing a locally sustainable approach for each individual location.