Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Public Consultation

Recent work on the SMP has outlined the natural processes and coastal defence structures that are affecting the changing shoreline and has identified the flood and erosion risks that the Isle of Wight will face in the future if the defences fail.  This has included describing what is at risk over the next 100 years, including residential and commercial areas, infrastructure, sites of natural or historic importance and features, such as beaches, which might be important for the local tourism economy.  This information has been used to draft objectives which state the important issues that the SMP intends to support and preserve. 

Policies have now been developed as part of the Draft SMP and will be published in summer 2010 for a 3-month period of public consultation (from July to September).  The results of the public consultation will then be used to set the final policies and the Final SMP will be completed and adopted in December 2010.

For more information see the SMP website

The Isle of Wight Council is issuing its annual warning to walkers about the dangers of tree falls and landslips caused by seasonal wet and windy weather.

The warning is necessary because, as a result of the heavy rainfall, much low-lying land, as well as coastal slopes and cliffs, will become saturated with water. The effect of this is that a number of locations will become increasingly vulnerable to problems of landslip and cliff falls, and that trees may become unstable.

In order to reduce the risks arising from tree failure, ground instability, landslip and cliff failures the following information is provided:

* Please exercise caution when walking along cliff-top paths, on beaches or close to the base of cliffs, or in other exposed coastal locations;

* Regularly inspect slopes and trees within your property for signs of movement or damage. If you think there is a problem seek appropriate professional advice or contact the Isle of Wight Council (telephone: 821000). A list of tree consultants is maintained by the council online at iwight.com/trees

* Avoid excavating into slopes as this may lead to failure of the slope and cause problems for you or your neighbours;

* Do not trench or excavate underneath a tree. If you sever a root, it will weaken the tree. This is particularly important if the tree is on a slope or close to a building. Avoid loading, tipping or building operations that may lead to a failure of a slope or affect property below you. If you are concerned about operations of this kind seek professional advice;

* Make sure your gutters and downpipes are not overflowing or leaking and try to prevent the ponding of water; ensure that ditches and drainage systems on your land are kept clear.

* If a boundary or retaining wall within your property is leaning or cracked and the situation has worsened recently, seek professional advice from a qualified surveyor and carry out repairs. If you need further advice and are worried about a wall not within your property contact the Isle of Wight Council (telephone: 823586 (or out of hours 821105)). The collapse of walls or failure of trees can be very dangerous and you could be held responsible if you are an owner.

* If you require further general advice about ground movements please visit the Isle of Wight Coastal Visitors' Centre, Dudley Road, Ventnor; telephone: (01983) 857220. The Coastal Centre provides a number of displays relating to ground instability issues and instability management. In addition, various publications are available to assist local residents who are concerned about ground movement problems.

The closed section of Cliff Path near Lake Cliff Gardens has re-opened after repair works were completed in early May. The timber shuttering supporting the path failed, and part of the path was lost. The council appointed consultant Mott MacDonald to design a repair to reinstate the path on its original alignment. The repair involved stabilising the 27 May, 2010 the timber shuttering. The gap between the cliff face and timber shuttering was then filled with a lightweight granular material, allowing the path to be reinstated.

For more information on the path please contact Acting Coastal Manager, Peter Marsden, tel: 857220 or e-mail peter.marsden@iow.gov.uk

Shoreline Management Plan
Island residents and businesses with an interest in the coast will be asked to contribute to a major shoreline plan over the next year.

The Council is preparing an updated Shoreline Management Plan which will review an original document published in 1997.

The Plan will assess the risks associated with coastal processes over the next 100 years and how to reduce their effects in a sustainable way. It will look at erosion and coastal flooding and how to balance environmental, social and financial issues.

Responsibility for management of the Island's coastal defences against erosion and flooding is shared between the Council and the Environment Agency. The updated Plan will be prepared using guidelines set down by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Learning about the Island's Coast
The Isle of Wight Coastal Visitors' Centre at Ventnor is now open for the coming season.

The Centre, at Salisbury Gardens, operates to educate and inspire people about the Island's coastal environment and also showcases the work of the Council's coastal management service.

This summer season, as with previous years, there will be exhibitions about the Island's dynamic coastline and the effects of erosion, as well as about special habitats, geology and items of historic interest.

The Centre also has a technical library (non-lending) open to the public on weekdays and a new public study room.

For schools and groups there are science and geography field courses, as well as rockpool rambles during the May half-term, and family fun days. Last year more than 3,450 pupils visited the Centre.

The Centre is open Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free for under 16s and £1 for those aged 16 or over.

For more information on the Centre you can call 01983 855400 or visit www.coastalwight.gov.uk/coastalcentre.

For Education Programmes visit www.coastalwight.gov.uk/education

For Events visit www.coastalwight.gov.uk/events

Coastal defence defects
Members of the public are being encouraged to contact the Council if they spot any defects in the Island 's coastal defences.

The Council's Centre for the Coastal Environment at Ventnor is responsible for inspecting and monitoring Council-owned coastal defences.

The Centre also carries out repairs to maximise the life of coastal defence structures owned or maintained by the Council. These structures include seawalls, railings, revetments, groynes, slipways, navigation aids, steps and breakwaters.

If you have any concerns or questions relating to coastal defences you should call the Centre on 857220.

GPS Monitoring in Ventnor
The Council's coastal management section has been conducting Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys in Ventnor to help accurately monitor ground movement over a long timescale.

Fifty permanent ground markers were installed around the town in 2003 and accurately surveyed using differential GPS, which uses satellites to locate a point to an accuracy of about 7mm. Repeat surveys were conducted in 2005 and 2006.

So far the surveys have not detected any significant movement of the ground markers over this short period, but further surveys over the coming years and decades may reveal important information.

Special new role for Centre
The Council's Centre for the Coastal Environment at Ventnor is linking with the Channel Coast Observatory at Southampton for a special research project.

The pair have been selected by the coastal group, SCOPAC (Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline), to carry out a review of its research activities. SCOPAC, of which the Isle of Wight Council is a member, works to promote sustainable shoreline management in the coastal zone of central southern England. It also carries out research into coastal issues including climate change, environmental change and coastal defence.

It is hoped the review will assist towards future research into projects including adapting to climate change and coastal defence advice for local Councils.

More information on the work of SCOPAC is available at www.scopac.org.uk .

Rainfall on the Undercliff
Keeping tabs on rainfall patterns on the Undercliff is one of the key roles of the Council's coastal management section.

Regular monitoring via a series of recording stations helps act as an early warning system against ground movement triggered by rain.

Ventnor has a very long record of rainfall data, going back to 1830, and this has been supplemented by two automated weather stations, one at Ventnor Park, and another at Castlehaven.

The historical rainfall record, together with automated monitoring and records of past ground movement events, has allowed the creation of an effective forecasting system.

It means the Council's coastal management section can publish public advice when rainfall patterns approach those seen during times of more active ground movement. This helps focus attention on areas of the Undercliff at a heightened risk of ground movement.

You can get more information on the monitoring by contacting James Houghton at coastal management on 857220.

Island represented at international event
Representatives from the Council's Centre for the Coastal Environment at Ventnor attended the Institute of Civil Engineers International Conference on Coastal Management 2007, held in Cardiff at the end of October.

The conference highlighted innovation and best practice in coastal management, with Isle of Wight Council officers Helen Fairbank, Senior Coastal Scientist, and Emma Mathie, Coastal Engineer, presenting a technical paper on managing coastal hazards in a changing climate.

The paper presented the results from the European Response Project (Responding to the risks from climate change), a three-year initiative supported by the European Community, launched in 2006.

The £1 million project was led by the centre for the coastal environment and included partners from the UK, Italy, France and Poland.