Final Report to DEFRA - Jurassic Coast

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Jurassic Coast Pathfinder project
Dorset County Council, on behalf of a range of partners on the Jurassic Coast of
Dorset and East Devon, submitted a bid to DEFRA’s Coastal Change Pathfinder fund
in September 2009. £376,500 was awarded ‘to explore planning for, and managing,
adaptation to coastal change on the Jurassic Coast’.
Outputs
The centre-piece of the project was an intensive focus on six case study sites, using
scenario planning to work with communities to identify coastal change risks and
options for adaptation. The sites – Swanage, Ringstead, Preston Beach Road,
Charmouth, Seatown and Sidmouth – are all very different but will all face significant
changes if Shoreline Management Plan policies are implemented. A network of
facilitators was trained to ensure that an effective process of stakeholder
engagement was designed and delivered. In addition the project delivered:
• High quality visualisations to illustrate the potential impacts of coastal change.
• Training for community leaders and exchange visits for communities facing
change.
• A research project into how spatial planning can best support sustainable
adaptation to coastal change.
• A public exhibition showcasing the conclusions from the scenario planning
workshops and raising awareness.
• An education project to embed coastal change in the geography curriculum
locally and equip future generations with the knowledge and skills to address
coastal change issues.
Outcomes
Each element of the project was carefully evaluated (see section 3.6 and appendix 1)
and feedback gathered from participants suggested that most of the aims of the
project were achieved. In particular:
• Coastal change literacy: there has been a demonstrable improvement in the
awareness of coastal change issues among key stakeholders in the six
communities identified as case studies. Awareness of the issues facing
communities has improved among both coastal managers and communities
themselves.
• Effective stakeholder engagement: there has been a significant improvement
in the awareness across the public sector partners involved in the project of why
and how effective stakeholder engagement can promote sustainable adaptation
to coastal change.
• Capacity to lead and manage the debate about coastal change: a cohort of
community leaders, present and future, has been developed who are better
placed to lead and manage the debate about coastal change within their
communities. A small but robust network of capable, trained facilitators has also
been established in the public sector which can better support communities in
debating and addressing coastal change and other issues.
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