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Subsection

Gribben Head to Black Head PDZ3

The Gribben Head to Black Head Subsection is split into 9 areas. Their boundaries have been set based on analysis of coastal processes and the character of the shoreline. Select an area to find out more information about it.

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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 Austell Bay. It is split into 9 smaller local management units.

The bay faces south-southeast and is a relatively sheltered rocky embayment, rich in sediment, with Par Sands and Carlyon Bay the largest sandy beaches. A significant proportion of the sediment within the bay has been gained from historic china clay mining activity, with mining sediments being flushed into the bay over the past two centuries via local rivers and streams. Locally this sediment is referred to as ‘stent’ and whilst mining in the upper catchments still occurs, sediment inputs via fluvial watercourses have now mostly ceased.

The area includes the communities of Polkerris, Par, Carlyon Bay, Charlestown, Duporth and Porthpean as well as open countryside, tourist amenities and agricultural land. Flood risks exist at Par but are limited elsewhere, and the primary issue of concern is erosion, which is affecting various sections of cliff, including west Charlestown, Duporth and Porthpean. The route of the Southwest Coast Path is under pressure within this area and has already been re-routed inland at Duporth.

The key values of the area are the historic and existing interaction of the communities with the coast for economic activity and amenity value which the Heritage Coast and Cornwall AONB landscape designations support.

The wider management approach in this sub-section focuses on the provision of a ‘yellow lung’ for the significant settlement of St Austell, and those that are situated on the immediate frontage itself, and maintaining the tourism and recreation amenity value of the area, including the historic harbour at Charlestown. This dictates a shoreline management approach which maintains the natural amenity value and landscape designations. This should make provision for the importance of tourism and recreation and the need to allow natural evolution of the coast, to support objectives for the Regionally Important Geological Site designations within the Bay.

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.