Holderness Case Study

Holderness Case Study: Coasts

01

Where is Holderness located?

The Holderness Coast is located in the east of England and extends for 61KM stretching in a smooth curve of cliffs and beaches from the high chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head in the north to the sand spit of Spurn Point in the south. This coastline is one of the fastest eroding coastlines in europe, with a rate of 2m per year, which is an estimated 2 million tonnes of material each year. Approx 3 miles (5km) has been lost since roman times, including 23 towns/villages.

The Role of Geology on the Coastline

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Most of the Holderness coast is less than 12,000 years old and mainly consists of boulder clay (also known as glacial till), which was carried here by the last glacial advances. Boulder clay is structurally weak and can be weathered and eroded easily, creating low-lying landscapes which end as low cliffs, between 5-20 metres high ,bordering the North Sea.

The geology runs in bands , with a chalk layer creating a headland at Flamborough in the North ,and boulder clay laid down in the last ice age in the South.Chalk surrounds the boulder clay, this is a much stronger rock but has eroded along fault lines and bedding planes forming structures like cliffs , caves , arches and stacks.

The boulder clay erodes to produce mainly clay particles , which are fine and easily transported out to sea in suspension , rather than building up on-shore. Because of this , erosion is also so rapid here because there is not much sand to stop the waves reaching the cliff face at high tide. The tides flow southwards , transporting sand south by longshore drift and leaving the cliffs at Holderness poorly protected against wave attack.

Role of marine factors on Erosion

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The fetch is one of the main reasons why the beach is retreating at the Holderness Coast. The Fetch is how far the waves have travelled. Holderness is exposed to winds and waves from the North-East with a small fetch of about 500-800km. This isn’t that far and wouldn't normally cause large waves but other factors increase their size:

Other Factors Affecting wave size

Deep Sea Floor

Weather Impacts

SWELL + Currents

Weather systems and winter storms in the North Sea are often intense. The low pressure raises the sea level, producing higher tides than normal and the storms add energy to the waves, especially in storms.

Currents circulate around the UK from the Atlantic, adding wave energy and increasing the frequency of destructive waves along the coastline at Holderness.

The seafloor is deep in the North Sea, meaning waves are not weakened much by friction as they approach the beach.

The processes of erosion and weathering occurring are numerous but include hydraulic action, freeze thaw, abrasion, solution and carbonation (on the clay). Tidal range at the Holderness coast is very high and can reach up to 7 m.

04

KEY PLAYERS

Central Government Angencies

The Environmental Agency is responsible for coastal management. Its budget has been cut since 2010 by the Central Government.

Local Government

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

the local authorities are jointly responsible for coastal management with the Environmental Agency. Due to the budget cuts made in 2010 it restricted local councils to minimal increases in council tax.

Stakeholders in the local economy

• The tourist industry - Want more spending on coastal protection

• Farmers - want more money spent to protect their land which is of lower value than urban spaces.

• Residents -want guaranteed coastal protection for their homes and businesses.

• Insurance companies - increasingly refusing to provide insurance to vulnerable properties.

Environmental Stakeholders

English Nature and RSPB want to protect Spurn head so a continuing flowing of sand southwards IS ESSENTIAL One of the most important assets of the spit is the protection it gives to the Humer Esturay Mudflats (one of the uk most important bird reserves)

Impacts of Coastal Management

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• Due to the fast eroding coastline at holderness (-1.2M/year), local authorities have been monitering erosion rates for 50 years at 110 different places.

• GPS allowed large areas to be surveyed at a faster rate with more accuracy.

• The entire cliff and coastal frontage from Flamborough to Spurn point is surveyed every 6 months to get an idea of the coastal erosion and sand movements along the beach.

• Sea defences can be really beneficial for certain areas, groynes can be really good at building up beaches which offer further protectio from erosion but it impacts the sediment flow within its cell. This results in a depleted supply of sediment further south ( or in the direction of sediment travel) so areas south have little protection and are at risk of erosion, this is known as Terminal Groyne Syndrome. This is a real problem in Holderness.
• For example, sea walls, groynes and rock armour at Hornsea, protect part of the coast but inturrupt the flow down south and the sediment supply during processes such as LSD.
• This means Mappleton then suffers a lack of protection that would usually be given by the sediment supply - 1990s 4m of cliff erosion each year

Social and Economic impacts

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Economic impacts

• A loss of income from the tourism sector as visits to the area have decreased.
• Golden Sands Holiday Park: lost 100 Chalets to the sea, reducing tourism to Withernsea.
• Areas are unable to keep a high population so local businesses are closing - people lose out livlihoods as they beome unemployed - this leads to less disposable income (or reliance on benfits) this could lead to a spiral and cycle of decline in an area.
• Investments are spent on coastal management strategies, neglecting other issues that need attention.
• Large economic losses in the agricultural industry as 80000m2 of farmland is lost per year.
• Increased infrastructure damage (by 2100 it’s predicted that 200 homes and several roads will fall into the ocean)
• No Financial compensation is given to those who have been impacted by coastal erosion

Social Impacts

• A loss of many villages has occurred (around 30 since the Roman times).
• Loss of homes, causes psychological impacts as people lose all they know and have to start again if they cannot save anything they have lost - such as important photographs, documents, sentimentally valued items.
• Populations decrease as the tourist industry is under threat -people lose out livlihoods as they beome unemployed - this leads to less disposable income (or reliance on benfits) this could lead to a spiral and cycle of decline in an area. both social - Economic.
• There is no financial aid to people whose private housing or land has been lost.

East Riding Coastal Change Fund

This fund offers some limited help in terms of finacial assistance, as well as free advice for those residents affected by coastal erosion. It offers two packages

Relocation Package:

• demolition costs for property
• SOME relocation costs (removal vans) - up to a maximum £1000.
• the expenses caused by relocating to a new home - up to a maximum of £1000

Adaptation Package:

• Rollback- expenses incurred as a result of an individuals descicion to replace a threatend property with a new home inland. Only covers planning application fees.
• introduced to help caravan parks, farms, and residential where coastal protection was not viable.
• assistance grants - to adapt properties which may be at risk from coastal erosion in the future. (relocating septic tanks/waste pipes changing access routes to properties)

SMP - Shoreline Management Plans and the Integrates coastal management zones (ICMZ)

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Intergrated Coastal Zone Management

Intergrated coastal zone management is a hollistic approach to coastal management. It considers that singular action can cause consequences along a sediment cell- it is better to veiw the management in a holistic manor. ICZM is a process that brings together all of those involved in the development, management and use of the coast. The aim is to establish sustainable levels of economic and social activity; resolve enviromental, social and economic challenges and conflicts.

East Riding Yorkshire Council developed an ICZM, which was launched in 2002. involving over 80 different organisations ------------------------------- "Towards a Sustainable Coast" --------------------------------Long term perpective, hollistic approach, adaptive managment, specific solutions and flexible measures, working with natural processes, participatorty planning.

The ICZM was used to develop the Flamborough Head to Gibralter Point Shorline Management Plan (SMP). published in 2011.

What is the SMP?

Sets out policy for the next 100 years. it assesses the potential for erosion and flood risks, and then identifies sustainable coastal defence and management (whilst taking into consideration a cost-benefit analysis). Working with local stakeholders and players such as local govs, nats gov agencies,stakeholder in the economy and and environmental stakeholders SMPs are reccomended by DEFRA (department for environment and rural affairs). Four options are considered for any stretch of coastline.

Do Nothing

Advance the Line

Letting nature take its course and allowing the sea to erode cliffs and flood low lying land - letting exisiting defences collapse

This involves extending the coastline out to the sea (encouraging the build up of a wider beach, using beach nourishment, and groyne construction

Managed retreat

Hold the Line

allowing the coastline to retreat but in a managed way. Delibrate breaching of flood banks built to protect low quality farmland (creating salt marshes)

Maintaining the current position of coastline - often uses hard enginnering methods)

What's the Plan for Holderness?

Do Nothing - along most places that offer no costs (except some economic loss through building, land) Hold the Line- The benefits outweigh the costs continuing to protect Hornsea and Withernsea and Bridlingotn. And because of the importance of the gas terminals specifically at Dimlington and Easington. Managed retreat - Spurn Point will be allowed to evolve - requiring minimal costs.

Cost Benefit analysis and environmental Impact assessments (EIA + CBA) are carried out to see that benefits clearly outweigh the costs, benefits marginly outweigh the costs or if the costs outweigh the benefits.