River Tyne to Frenchman's Bay PDZ1
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
Non-technical summary
About this subsection
This subsection of the SMP is about 3km and includes three main areas – Littlehaven, Herd Sand and Trow Quarry.
Littlehaven is a section of sand beach sheltered by the main Tynemouth piers. Part of the beach is backed by an old sea wall that sits seaward of the normal line of high water. Behind the beach is a narrow low-lying area, occupied by a promenade with car parks and recreational areas, and the local coastal road. The land then rises quite steeply behind this road.
Herd Sand, also known as Sandhaven beach, is also a relatively low-lying shoreline, separated from Littlehaven by the South Pier. The broad sweep of sand formed against the southern side of the South Pier is backed by dunes and curves towards Trow Point, narrowing as it does so. This narrowing leads to some pressure against the coastal defences. The area behind the beach is relatively low lying, occupied mainly by recreational development and the A183. The land rises to the southern end and further back into the main urban area of South Tyneside. Historical records show this section of the coast to have been claimed from inter-tidal salt marsh.
Trow Quarry, behind Trow Point, has received landfill and been restored to a level grassed area, with the quarried rock face set back from the shoreline. The seaward face of the infilled area forms two small bays, divided by the eroding rock outcrop of Target Rock. Much of the foreshore is a rock platform in this area. The A183 is set back behind this grassed area, forming a boundary for the urban development of South Tyneside.
The shoreline in this area is nationally and internationally protected for its wildlife as part of the Durham Coast protected site network. The Trow Quarry section is part of the Northumberland Coast Special Protection Area that safeguards internationally important bird populations.