Unit

Charmouth 6A18

Summary management approach

Maintain the short length of sea wall and promenade until the end of their life, while developing adaptation measures to transition to No Active Intervention and the implacts of coastal change that will have on some parts of Charmouth. Within the River Char, a Managed Realignment approach will be adopted to allow defences to be realigned to provide protection against future flood risk to the area of Charmouth not directly impacted by coastal change.The 2011 Pathfinder Project together with the more recent Foreshore and Beach Management Plans produced by Charmouth Parish Council should provide basis for planning and guiding community-led elements of transistion and adaptation.

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)

HL3Hold the lineRepair not replace

Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures that might be maintained or repaired if funding allows, but not replaced if they fail or reach the end of their design life.

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20 to 50 years (2025 to 2055)

NI3No active interventionCease to maintain

Where defences are present, but it would be technically, economically, or environmentally unsustainable to maintain them.

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50 to 100 years (2055 to 2105)

NI3No active interventionCease to maintain

Where defences are present, but it would be technically, economically, or environmentally unsustainable to maintain them.

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Neighbouring units

The following units are within 1km of this one:

• Golden Cap to Charmouth (East) 6A17
• Charmouth (West) to East Cliff (Lyme Regis) 6A19

Protected sites

This area of coastline is not in or near a special protection area.

Data last updated: 2024-04-17

View Special Protection Area on the Data Services Platform

This 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 Platform

This 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 Platform

This 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 Platform

There are no scheduled monuments near this area of coastline.

Data last updated: 2024-04-03

View Scheduled Monument on the Data Services Platform

This area of coastline is not in or near a local nature reserve.

Data last updated: 2024-06-29

View Local Nature Reserve on the Data Services Platform

There is a site of special scientific interest near this area of coastline.

Data last updated: 2024-08-31

View Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Data Services Platform

This 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 Platform

There are no marine conservation zones near this area of coastline.

Data last updated: 2024-04-03

View Marine Conservation Zone on the Data Services Platform

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Actions 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
16.088	Consider splitting this unit into one unit for the western cliffed stretch with an No Active Intervention policy and a separate unit covering the river frontages with a Managed Realignment approach.	Pending agreement	Not yet started	Medium-high
16.087	Reinvigorate the 2011 Defra-funded Coastal Adaptation Pathfinder engagement to ensure all affected are aware of the increasing erosion risk and to explain why defence works would not be permitted. The Pathfinder project has already identified the need to develop an adaptation plan and trigger levels for action which should now be progressed to help the community adjust to future coastal change.	Dorset Council	Not yet started	Medium
16.090	Engage with key stakeholders and the local community to begin to develop adaptation plans for the medium to long term coastal change along this shoreline. This could possibly be assisted by the Jurassic Coast Pathfinder Project completed in 2011, and the West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland Coastal Risk Planning Guide produced in 2013.	Dorset Council	Not yet started	Medium
16.029	Ensure SMP management approaches and their delivery supports the Management Objectives of the Dorset & East Devon's United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, as set out in the Jurassic Coast Partnership Plan. Engage with the Jurassic Coast Trust and follow UNESCO best practice for considering the potential impacts of activities on the Site's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). This will include undertaking impact assessments specific to the World Heritage Site, supported by stakeholder consultation and consideration of mitigation/compensation.	Pending agreement	Progressing	Medium-low
16.030	Update the 2012 SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study (STS) to include new Channel Coastal Observatory baseline data captured in 2022/23.	Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline	Not yet started	Medium-low
16.085	Carry out a study to investigate the effects of SMP management approaches on the historic features present and consider mitigation measures and/or recording as appropriate.	Pending agreement	Not yet started	Low

Download table as spreadsheet (CSV)

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

• Action plan (CSV)
• Policies (CSV)

Main report

• Introduction
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Basis for Development of the Plan
• The preferred plan
• Policy statement - part 1
• Policy statement - part 2
• Action plan
• Glossary
• References

Appendices

• Appendix A - SMP Development
• Appendix B - Stakeholder Engagement
• Appendix C - Baseline Process Understanding
  • Appendix C - maps
• Appendix D - Sea Environmental Baseline Report
  • Appendix D - Map (overview)
  • Appendix D - Map
• Appendix E - Issues and Objectives Evaluation
• Appendix F - Initial Policy Appraisal and Scenario Development
• Appendix G - Preferred Policy Scenario Testing
• Appendix H - Economic Appraisal and Sensitivity Testing
• Appendix I - Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
• Appendix J - Appropriate Assessment Report
• Appendix K - Water Framework Directive Assessment Report
• Appendix L - Metadata and Bibliographic Databases
• Appendix M - Action Plan Summary Tables

Supporting Documents

• Summary leaflet
• Non-technical summary

Related links

• Coastal Group Website
• Coastal Handbook
• National Coast Monitoring
• Flood and coastal erosion risk management: current schemes and strategies
• Designated Sites View