Hummersea Scar to Sandsend Ness PDZ7
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 of about 18km is mainly high vertical or steeply sloping cliffs, overlain by glacial tills, with till slopes within valleys.
A rock platform foreshore is near continuous with landslide material and cliff scree forming a toe to the cliff in many places. Only at Runswick is there a larger sandy bay, although there are smaller pocket beaches of sand elsewhere. There are small settlements at Cowbar, Staithes, Port Mulgrave, and Runswick Bay, with individual properties close to the cliff elsewhere. The area is important for tourism and lies within the North York Moors National Park. Agriculture is the dominant land use, extending to the cliff edge in most areas.
Staithes to Port Mulgrave and Runswick Bay are protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest for their wildlife. A Marine Conservation Zone protects the nearshore environment across most of the area.