Assessment of Strategic Policy Options (685 KB PDF - Angus Council

Angus Shoreline Management Plan
Part B2.4:
CPU 4: Rickle Craig to Ethie Haven

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Shoreline Management Plan
Management Unit 4 / 1 Lunan Bay
From: Rickle Craig NO (6977 5260)
To: EthieHaven NO (6981 4878)
Approximate Length : 4.7km
Coastal Overview
Lunan Bay is a sandy bay backed by hinterland dunes and a fossil cliff line and contained between
high cliffs at either end of the Management Unit. Hence sediment interchange to either the north or
the south of the unit is minimal with there being little loss or gain of sediment from the unit. The
shoreline in recent history has shown little change and the beach unit is relatively stable with the
exception of periodic storm damage to the frontal dune system mainly in the southern half of the bay.
Pedestrian access pressures and other human activities over the dunes from the Car Park just to the
north of the outlet of Lunan Water have resulted in destabilisation of the dune system with blowouts
and other wind erosion features evident.
Natural & Heritage Environment
Statutory
• Northern 1km of Whiting Ness to Ethie Haven SSSI covering the
Designated sites
intertidal rock platform at EthieHaven to mouth of Keilor Burn
Non Statutory
Designated sites
• No non statutory designated sites
Heritage sites and listed • Boddin Point Lime Kilns, Boddin Harbour, Black Jack, Red Castle,
buildings
Newbarns and Corbie Knowe
Human & Built Environment
Land Use • Mainly Grade 3 agriculture land
• Some residential property & B&B behind the dunes at Lunan
• Holiday cottages/ chalets at Corbie Knowe
Sea use • Fishing and Recreational use
Infrastructure • Minor access road and car park at Lunan
Recreation & tourism • Bathing & recreational beach, horse riding
Land Ownership / Occupation Interests
Land • Dunninald Estate
• Redcastle Farm & Newbarns Farm
• Private Housing & Chalets
Foreshore / seabed • Crown Estates to MHWS mark
• Redcastle Salmon Fisheries Ltd
Coastal Defences
• Usan Boat Services
Type • Various privately constructed concrete / masonry walls, gabions and
dumped builders rubble at Corbie Knowe
Future Development
• Beach and dune system along majority of frontage
Relevant Statutory • Dundee and Angus Structure Plan (2002)
Development Plans • Angus Local Plan (2000)
Relevant Non-statutory • Local Agenda 21
plans
• Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan
• The Keilor Trust Memorandum of Association
Volume 1, Part B2 First Edition 1-B2-42

Consultation Issues
The following issues were raised during consultation:
Shoreline Management Plan
Issue Individual/ Organisation
Coastal Processes • Ongoing loss of beach at southern end of
Lunan Bay
• Ethie Haven Residents
Natural Environment • Erosion to dunes due to unmanaged access • The Keilor Trust
Human & Built
• Visual Impact of electricity poles
• The Keilor Trust
Environment
• Programme of continual upgrading of • Ethiehaven Residents
recreation facilities
• The Keilor Trust
Coastal Defence • Provision of coastal defences to protect • Ethiehaven Residents
Future development
holiday homes at Corbie Knowe
• The Keilor Trust
Issues not directly relevant to coastal defence are shown in italic.
Assessment of Assets at Risk
Evaluation of the risk of tangible and intangible assets being lost within the Management Unit is
based on:
• Long-term erosion of the frontal dunes and potential dune breach north of the mouth of the Lunan
Water.
• Loss of coastal defences at the southern end of the bay.
Risk to tangible assets Risk Risk to intangible assets Risk
Property loss
Infrastructure loss
Land loss
Property flooding
Land flooding
Transport disruption
Recreational loss
Low
-
Low
Low
Low
-
Low
Environmental losses
Heritage losses
Recreation & tourism
Social effects
Future coastal changes will be dominated by episodic storm events leading to a long-term, but slow
retreat of the dune edge. It is unlikely that this rate of retreat will result in erosion of farmland backing
the dunes along the southern half of the bay or result in loss of property or historic interest at the
mouth of the Lunan Water. Under a severe easterly storm, there is a risk of breaching of the dune
ridge to the north of the Lunan Water outlet. This could lead to flooding of land, including the car
park, and a flood risk to property in the immediate hinterland. Despite Corbie Knowe being relatively
sheltered, the coastal defences are unlikely to prevent damage to frontal property and the immediate
hinterland under a severe storm from the north-east.
Volume 1, Part B2 First Edition 1-B2-43
Low
Low
Low
-

Strategic Policy Appraisal
Shoreline Management Plan
Of the five generic policy options available for consideration two have been discounted, primarily
because:
• There are no plans for development requiring land reclamation, which would require an advance
the line policy.
• Given the health of the natural defences there is little requirement or scope for a managed
realignment policy.
Hence, the remaining generic policy options for this Management Unit have been further assessed
against the SMP objectives and consultation issues identified:
• No active intervention.
• Limited intervention – Repair existing defences at Corbie Knowe when required and carry out
dune management activities.
• Hold the line - Maintenance and upgrading of existing coastal defences at Corbie Knowe to
maintain or increase standard of defence.
Volume 1, Part B2 First Edition 1-B2-44

General
Objectives
Specific Objectives
OBJECTIVE
Shoreline Management Plan
POLICY
Technically feasible a a a - -
Environmentally acceptable a a a IP - -
Economically viable a a a IP - -
Sustainable a a a IP - -
Compatible with adjacent Management Units
Addresses consultation issues
a
X
a a - -
L a S Planning & the Built Environment
a - -
• Identify coastal flooding and erosion risk and its impact on coastal land use and future a a a - -
development plans.
Natural Environment
• Ensure SMP policy allows natural coastal processes to continue with minimal
disruption.
Volume 1, Part B2 First Edition 1-B2-45
No active
intervention
Limited
intervention
Hold the line
Managed realignment
Advance the
line
a a a I - -
• Ensure that SMP policy maintains and where possible enhances natural environment
and biodiversity. a a a IP - -
• Ensure that SMP policy is sympathetic and aims to enhance the aesthetic and
landscape quality of the coastline. a a a IP - -
Archaeology & Cultural Heritage
• Ensure SMP policy does not adversely impact on areas of archaeological and cultural
importance.
a S a a - -
• Ensure SMP policy will attempt to conserve and maintain diversity of archaeological
interest and wreck sites for future generations. a S a a - -
Recreation & Tourism
• Ensure SMP policy does not reduce the recreation and tourism value of the Angus a a a IP - -
coast.
• Where possible SMP policy aims to incorporate and improve recreation and tourism
management.
= a a IP - -
• Where possible improve visitor management in environmentally sensitive areas. = a a IP - -
Ports, Harbours, Industry and MoD
• Ensure that Shoreline Management Plan policy does not create additional adverse
impacts on Ports, Harbours, Industry and Ministry of Defence land.
- - - - -
• Promote the use of suitable dredged material to support natural coastal defences. - - - - -
Agriculture & Fisheries
• Ensure that Shoreline Management Plan policy does not create additional adverse
impacts on agricultural land and fishing activity.
a a a - -
SUITABILITY OF STRATEGY OPTION a S a a P - -
Legend
a Policy (generally) compatible with objective I Policy compatible / conflicts depending on
implementation method
X Policy (potentially) conflicts with objective P Policy compatible / conflicts over part of unit
= Neither contributes or conflicts with objective S Policy compatible / conflicts over Short Term
- Policy not technically viable / Objective not relevant L Policy compatible / conflicts over Long Term

Policy Options
Shoreline Management Plan
The policy options deemed technically feasible in the strategic policy appraisal have been further
assessed for their effects/implications on the six key areas identified in the impact summary matrix:
Impact Summary Matrix for technically feasible coastal defence policy options
Technically Feasible Policy Options
Effects/ No active intervention Limited intervention Hold the line
Implications On Repair of existing defences Selectively maintaining and
and management of dunes upgrading existing defences
when required.
at Corbie Knowe.
1) Allow natural coastal
1) Maintain the natural
process to continue
coastal process to allow Natural coastal process will resulting in long term retreat
Coastal Processes
them to continue to provide
the coastal defence function
continue resulting in long
term but slow retreat of the
of the dune line
2) Defence of private
2) Potential for dune breach dune line
cottages will have minimal
north of Lunan Water
1) Enable private owners at
impact on dune and coast to
the immediate north
Coastal Defence
May result in a reduction in
standard of defence
provided by dunes north of
Lunan water and eventual
loss of defences at southern
end of bay
Corbie Knowe to repair
existing defences but may
result in long term reduction
in the standard of defence
2) Management and repair
of dunes to reduce
pedestrian and storm
damage
Permit the standard of
defence to be maintained
and upgraded at Corbie
Knowe
Natural
Environment
No significant issues No significant issues
1) Holiday cottages at
No significant issues
Human & Built
Environment
Increased risk to holiday
cottages at Corbie Knowe,
private property and car
park behind the dunes north
of Lunan Water
Corbie Knowe protected
2) Long term standard of
natural defences maintained
protecting car park and
property behind Lunan
water
Enable private owners to
maintain and upgrade level
of protection to property at
Corbie Knowe
Economically viable Yes Yes Yes
Impacts on adjacent
Management Units
No anticipated impacts No anticipated impacts No anticipated impacts
Suitability of
strategic option
Yes in the short term Yes Yes (Part Of)
Volume 1, Part B2 First Edition 1-B2-46

SMP Preferred Policy Option
Shoreline Management Plan
Potential time frame Preferred Policy Option
Present policy (2004)
Limited intervention / No active
intervention
Selectively hold the line:
Short term policy < 10 - 15 years • Limited intervention
• Hold the line
Selectively hold the line:
Long term policy > 10 - 15 years • Limited intervention
• Hold the line
Along the main frontage to the north of Corbie Knowe, a no active intervention policy is
recommended in both the short and long term over most of the frontage. This will allow the natural
beach/ dune system to continue to provide the coastal defence function. However, it should be
appreciated that the dune line is likely to retreat over the timeframe of the SMP. Hence some
intervention will be required to maintain the standard of protection provided by the dunes to the
property and recreational facilities to the north of the Lunan Water outlet. Hence to the north of the
Lunan Water a limited intervention policy is recommended. This would require maintaining the
dynamic beach dune system to provide an adequate and consistent defence standard to attempt to
maintain a sufficient width of dune to prevent breaching to the north of the outlet of the Lunan Water.
A limited intervention policy would also maintain the natural and aesthetic qualities of the beach
along with its amenity interest.
At Corbie Knowe, a limited intervention policy would allow the owners to repair and maintain their
existing defences. However, it is recommended that a hold the line policy should be implemented to
allow the owners to continue to maintain the standard of protection to their holiday homes in response
to any increased risk, such as potential threats due to an increase in storminess and sea level rise.
These policies are based on the assumption that there is no further development seaward of the fossil
cliff line related to the 8m raised beach.
Areas of Potential Conflict
• No commitment from Angus Council (Coast Protection Authority) to provide coast protection to
private property either by upgrading or replacing the coastal protection at Corbie Knowe or any
other privately owned frontage within this Management Unit.
• Environmentally or aesthetically unacceptable coastal protection being used at Ethie Haven and
Corbie Knowe (e.g. builders rubble).
• Recreational access reducing the standard of defence provided by the dunes to the north of the
outlet of the Lunan Water.
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Additional Management Requirements
Shoreline Management Plan
It is recommended that a beach monitoring programme be initiated to monitor any changes in the
beach / dune system to inform when a change in policy may be required. It is suggested that beach /
dune profiles be set up at:
• Corbie Knowe
• 2 further profiles south of the Lunan Water
• 2 profiles north of the Lunan Water
It is likely that further action will be required to reduce access pressures on the dunes to the north of
the Lunan Water.
Management activities to reduce the impact of pedestrian pressures and natural wind erosion
processes on the dunes, particularly to the north of the Lunan Water, will be an essential component in
maintaining the natural standard of defences provided by dune system.
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