Ventnor & Bonchurch (Monk's Bay to Steephill Cove) PU4A.2
Summary management approach
The SMP policy for the Ventnor and Bonchurch shoreline is Hold the Line. The intent of management for this area is to maintain the community and economic viability of Ventnor and the area through supporting continuing provision of coastal defences to prevent erosion and resulting reactivation of the toe of the Ventnor Undercliff Landslide Complex. The SMP recommends that shoreline management offers an effective method of minimising future risks. It is accepted that, despite coastal protection measures, the long-term risks of landslide reactivation will gradually increase in a changing climate due to the impact of increasing winter rainfall and adaptation may be required in parts of the area. This unit covers the steepest and most developed part of the landslide complex, which is already protected with coastal defences. Further important SMP policy information for this unit is provided in the Further Details tab.
Generic approach assigned to this unit
Management approaches depend on funding and relevant approvals and permissions. Adaptation to coastal change may be needed. If defences are present, some risk from flooding, erosion or ground instability may remain.
Time periods (short (0 to 20 years), medium (20 to 50 years) and long (50 to 100)) are approximate and do not signify precise dates of management transitions.
0 to 20 years (2005 to 2025)
HL1Hold the lineMaintain/replace
Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.
20 to 50 years (2025 to 2055)
HL1Hold the lineMaintain/replace
Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.
50 to 100 years (2055 to 2105)
HL1Hold the lineMaintain/replace
Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.
Neighbouring units
The following units are within 1km of this one:
Protected sites
This area of coastline is in or near a special protection area.
Data last updated: 2024-04-17
View Special Protection Area on the Data Services PlatformThis area of coastline is in or near an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Data last updated: 2024-06-29
View Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Data Services PlatformThis area of coastline is in or near 2 special conservation areas.
Data last updated: 2024-04-17
View Special Area of Conservation on the Data Services PlatformThis area of coastline is not in or near a ramsar wetland area.
Data last updated: 2024-04-03
View Ramsar Site on the Data Services PlatformThere are no scheduled monuments near this area of coastline.
Data last updated: 2024-04-03
View Scheduled Monument on the Data Services PlatformThis area of coastline is in or near a local nature reserve.
Data last updated: 2024-06-29
View Local Nature Reserve on the Data Services PlatformThere are 4 sites of special scientific interest near this area of coastline.
Data last updated: 2024-07-26
View Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Data Services PlatformThis area of coastline is not in or near a national nature reserve.
Data last updated: 2024-06-29
View National Nature Reserve on the Data Services PlatformThere are no marine conservation zones near this area of coastline.
Data last updated: 2024-04-03
View Marine Conservation Zone on the Data Services PlatformActions for this unit
All actions are subject to funding and approval, often by other parties than the Lead Organisation shown.
| Reference Number | Action Description | Action Lead Organisation | Action Progress Status | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.0.19 | Complete Coastal Studies for Sandown Bay and the Undercliff. Now completed and available on the Isle of Wight Council's website (the Sandown Bay and Ventnor Initial Appraisal and Scheme Identification Studies); Priority schemes identified and progressed. | Isle of Wight Council | Complete | Medium-high |
| 14.4.06 | Deliver the Ventnor coastal protection and slope stabilisation Scheme. Underway and being actively progressed. | Environment Agency working in partnership with the Isle of Wight Council | Progressing | Medium-high |
| 14.4.01 | Develop a strategy/business case for funding for a coastal defence scheme at Ventnor. Completed through the Ventnor Initial Appraisal and Scheme Identification Study 2020. | Isle of Wight Council | Complete | Medium |
| 14.4.03 | Continue ground-movement monitoring with instrumentation in the Undercliff landslide complex, to assist management of defences. This is delivered as part of routine business. | Isle of Wight Council | Progressing | Medium |
| 14.4.04 | Continue monitoring of GPS surface-marker network for central Ventnor to assist management of defences. This is delivered as part of routine business. | Isle of Wight Council | Progressing | Medium |
Further Details
The SMP policy for the Ventnor and Bonchurch coastline is Hold the Line. The general intent of the policy is seeking to maintain the community and economic viability of the Ventnor and Bonchurch area through continuing provision of coastal defences to prevent erosion and resulting reactivation of the Ventnor Undercliff Landslide Complex. The town of Ventnor has developed from its unique coastal location and aspect. The SMP recommends that shoreline management offers an effective and achievable method of minimising future risks to preserve the character and functioning of this town in the foreseeable future. It is accepted that, despite coastal protection measures, the long-term risks of landslide reactivation will gradually increase in a changing climate due to the impact of increasing winter rainfall. Continuing shoreline management over the next 100 years should also lead to adaptation in the longer term in parts of the area as risk levels increase. Whilst shoreline management has a very important role in prevention of worsening slope stability conditions, there remains of course uncertainty in how the coastal slopes will respond episodically to certain antecedent conditions irrespective of the measures put in place at the toe of the Undercliff. Whilst the provision of defences to prevent erosion effectively minimises this risk, future behaviour of the landslide complex will determine the timing, location and nature of future adaptation required after or during the third epoch (in the long term). In this area integrated landslide management is ongoing, and shoreline management is an essential element of this. This policy unit covers the most developed and steepest sections of the landslide complex (therefore the reason that defences already exist in this section of the Undercliff). The aim is to maintain and improve of the existing defence line of seawalls and rock revetments (supplemented by soft engineering), where economically viable, to directly protect coastal properties, assets and access. In doing so this will also, essentially, minimise the risk of more widespread landslide reactivation by preventing erosion removing the coastal cliffs and lower terraces of the landslide complex, which would trigger movement in the sequence of terraces above underlying the town. Landslide management practices will also continue, including detailed planning guidance to avoid inappropriate development in areas of known ground movement or geomorphological vulnerability, minimising water inputs into the ground from control of pipe networks and monitoring of ground instability. It is important to work with homeowners and utilities to manage the risk of living with landslides, alongside continued shoreline management. The preferred policy is to maintain and improve existing defences to minimise the likelihood of landslide reactivation by preventing erosion, but working locally to allow scope of some readjustment of defences which could incorporate slope drainage. Adapt the transitions of defences to the adjacent eroding undeveloped shorelines. The full wording of the adopted SMP policy can be found in the Isle of Wight SMP (2010), Chapter 4.5, available for download on this webpage (see the chapter for 'Zone 4', including pages 236-239). Information on ground movement is available on the Isle of Wight Council website at www.iow.gov.uk (please select ‘Coastal management’, then choose ‘Landslides and ground movement’).
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 C1: Coastal processes and climate change
- Appendix C2: Defence appraisal (including maps of the coastal defences: maintainer, type, condition and residual life)
- Appendix C3: Scenarios of future shoreline change (including erosion maps for the ‘No Active Intervention’ and ‘With Present Management’ scenarios)
- Appendix D: Natural and built environment baseline (including maps of nature conservation designations, coastal habitats and heritage features)
- Appendix E: Issues and objectives evaluation
- Appendix F: Strategic Environmental Assessment (including addendum)
- Appendix G: Scenario testing
- Appendix H: Economic appraisal
- Appendix I: Habitat Regulations Assessment - Appropriate Assessment
- Appendix J: Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessment
- Appendix K: Reference list and bibliographic database
- Appendix L: Information to the Secretary of State according to regulations 49(5) and 51(2) of the Habitats Regulations; and Statement to Defra on SRHCP and IW the SMPs compliance with the Habitat Regulations
- Appendix M: Statement of environmental particulars