East Norfolk Coast Flashcards
Location of the coast
North Sea coastline
North east of East Anglina in eastern England
Direction of the longshore drift
North to south
The 4 villages from north to south
Bacton
Happisburgh
Sea Palling
Winterton
Key human and physical features of each settlement
Bacton - Site of British Gas terminal , population of 1200
Happisburgh - population of 1400 , low value farmland
Sea Palling - population of 650 , close to sea level , Norkfolk Broads wetlands behind
Winterton - population of 1200 , low lying area behind ridge of sand dunes which is a natural reserve
Main processes operating at this costline
Rapid coastal erosion
Mass movement
Transport processes
Flooding
The main landforms
Low cliffs
Beaches
Sand dunes
Impact of the geology
Boulder clay overlain by sands this has created low, unstable cliffs
Factors that will increase the risk of coastal erosion and flooding
Rising sea levels (eustatic)
increased frequency and intensity of low-pressure storms
More intense rainfall - more runoff
Current average of erosion
2m a year
The main hard enineering strategies used to protect Happisburgh
Groynes , wooden reventments and riprap
How was the 1996 Shoreline Management Plan (SMP6) more sustainable
Environmentally sustainable
Economically justifiable
Socially acceptable
Holistic and integrated
Covers the next 100 years
Why was the traditional apprach unsustainable
Cost of maintance would have been too high
Didn’t look at the rest of the coastline
Stakeholders in SMP6
The Environment Agency , North Norfolk District Council , local councils , Regional Coastal groups/local residents
The social , economic and environmental factors that have to be considerd when a SMPs are involved in a cost/benefit analysis
social - safety and sercurity of people living along the coast
economic - impact on tourism , cost of defences , value of the land
environmental - nature of habitats and levels of biodiversity of ecosystems along the coast
Current management strategy for Bacton
hold the line through hard engineering strategies
gas terminal has national and international importance
sea walls maintained
new riprap and groynes
How will the strategy at Bacton impact other areas
Increased rate of erosion further south
Sediment bypassing could be used to help this but it is expensive
Current managment strategy for Happisburgh
Managed retreat
Flood risk is minimal
Rates of erosion are high
Relativly low population
low value farmland
Impact of managed retread on residents
Financial loss
Fall in house prices
Loss of land
Property distress
What support has been offered to residents in Happisburgh
Legal advice
Redevelopment funds
Planning
Architectural services
Current management for Sea Palling
Hold the line in the short medium term
Managed retreat longer term
Monitor the impact of saltwater inrusion on Broadland
inital plan to advance the line with 9 offshore reefs has been abandoned due to high costs and negative impact down the coastline
How economically important is the Norfolk Broads to the local economy
Over 7 million tourists a year
£400 million to the local economy
Current management strategy for Winterton
Do nothing
The offshore barriers at Sea Palling where cancelled due to the impact at Winterton
The sand dunes are an Area of Outstanding Beauty and a A Site of Special Scientific Interest
How much of the Environment Agency’s budget is allocated to coastla defences
5%