4
S.D.King
able to provide a much needed regional contact for co-ordinating and exchanging
information, so that the works of one CPA at the coast will not adversely affect the
coast of an adjacent CPA. Likewise, SMPs have given Voluntary Management Groups
the opportunity to develop sustainable coastal defence and conservation policies within
a sediment cell, and to set objectives for the future management of the coast (MAFF,
1995).
The main focus of an SMP is on coastal defence and protection. It is
recognised today that new defence and protection techniques must take account of
natural processes, particularly sediment movement, which take place at the coast. The
most successful of these techniques is arguably beach nourishment or recharge. Beach
recharge appears to cause little disruption to natural processes, and evidence from the
Netherlands, where nourishment schemes are actively used, suggest that the
environment suffers few adverse effects.
As a nation, our awareness of conservation issues appears to have grown over
the past fifty years. This view is justified by the numerous site designations that have
been made to protect the environment, and the inclusion of the natural environment as
an important consideration within SMPs. The growth of interest in these issues at the
coast has caused controversy within coastal management, especially where conservation
priorities have clashed with the needs and wishes of business and local residents at the
coast. In many respects, such conflicts belie any advances in coastal zone management,
as in essence, they are a consequence of poor planning, co-ordination, and hazard
management, which have heightened the problems of flooding, erosion and threats to
the built and natural environment. However, SMPs should provide a forum for all
interests at the coast to arrive at an agreeable solution for all and it is important to
recognise that it will be beneficial for conservation agencies, businesses and local
residents, to discuss their concerns. At the same time, new defence and protection
measures will be developed with respect to conservation priorities so that future
conflicts may be avoided. In this way, coastal management is becoming properly
integrated.
Some Problems with the SMP
There are, however, problems with basing coastal management solely on sediment cells.
Hooke and Bray (1995) debate their usefulness, arguing that the cells are difficult to
identify, and the concept hard to apply. This is especially true for finer sediment, as no
one can be sure of its exact movements. Lee (1993) also argues that sediment cells will
not be relevant to all aspects of coastal management, particularly where landward
geomorphological systems are concerned. The ability of plans based entirely on
sediment cells to integrate management strategies, may, therefore, be questioned; any
framework not bringing all issues together is not totally integrating them.
Another dilemma faced by the SMP initiative is that it is non-statutory,
although Jemmett (1995) argues that there are some advantages to this system. He
suggests that it “places the responsibility for addressing individual issues on those
affected by them and it fosters greater awareness and ownership” (Jemmett, 1995,
p449). In other words, the plans, while based on national policy, can become very site
specific, geared towards particular needs. However, he also acknowledges that some
S.D.King
able to provide a much needed regional contact for co-ordinating and exchanging
information, so that the works of one CPA at the coast will not adversely affect the
coast of an adjacent CPA. Likewise, SMPs have given Voluntary Management Groups
the opportunity to develop sustainable coastal defence and conservation policies within
a sediment cell, and to set objectives for the future management of the coast (MAFF,
1995).
The main focus of an SMP is on coastal defence and protection. It is
recognised today that new defence and protection techniques must take account of
natural processes, particularly sediment movement, which take place at the coast. The
most successful of these techniques is arguably beach nourishment or recharge. Beach
recharge appears to cause little disruption to natural processes, and evidence from the
Netherlands, where nourishment schemes are actively used, suggest that the
environment suffers few adverse effects.
As a nation, our awareness of conservation issues appears to have grown over
the past fifty years. This view is justified by the numerous site designations that have
been made to protect the environment, and the inclusion of the natural environment as
an important consideration within SMPs. The growth of interest in these issues at the
coast has caused controversy within coastal management, especially where conservation
priorities have clashed with the needs and wishes of business and local residents at the
coast. In many respects, such conflicts belie any advances in coastal zone management,
as in essence, they are a consequence of poor planning, co-ordination, and hazard
management, which have heightened the problems of flooding, erosion and threats to
the built and natural environment. However, SMPs should provide a forum for all
interests at the coast to arrive at an agreeable solution for all and it is important to
recognise that it will be beneficial for conservation agencies, businesses and local
residents, to discuss their concerns. At the same time, new defence and protection
measures will be developed with respect to conservation priorities so that future
conflicts may be avoided. In this way, coastal management is becoming properly
integrated.
Some Problems with the SMP
There are, however, problems with basing coastal management solely on sediment cells.
Hooke and Bray (1995) debate their usefulness, arguing that the cells are difficult to
identify, and the concept hard to apply. This is especially true for finer sediment, as no
one can be sure of its exact movements. Lee (1993) also argues that sediment cells will
not be relevant to all aspects of coastal management, particularly where landward
geomorphological systems are concerned. The ability of plans based entirely on
sediment cells to integrate management strategies, may, therefore, be questioned; any
framework not bringing all issues together is not totally integrating them.
Another dilemma faced by the SMP initiative is that it is non-statutory,
although Jemmett (1995) argues that there are some advantages to this system. He
suggests that it “places the responsibility for addressing individual issues on those
affected by them and it fosters greater awareness and ownership” (Jemmett, 1995,
p449). In other words, the plans, while based on national policy, can become very site
specific, geared towards particular needs. However, he also acknowledges that some