What are some facts about the Holderness coastline?
It’s eroded rapidly Encompases 61km Of coastline from flamborough head to Sourn head
Most of the coastline is made up of glacial tilll of Clay mixed with destructive waves is leading to rapid erosion.
The rate of erosion is now almost 10 cm per year in some places
The boulder clay is prune to slumping
Transportation - Longshore drift is transporting lots of sesiiiment to the sediments store of the spurn head where it’s deposited.
What coastal landscapes have been created?
Headland and wave cut platforms , the chalk here is much easier to erode
Slumping cliffs
Wife beaches
Sand dunes, around the sourn head dunes are plentiful.
Spit - Sourn head has salt marshes behind it and has a recurves head
Why is there such a need for management?
The coastline has retreated around 4km in the past 2000 years around 3@ villages have been destroyed
Loss of settlements and livelihoods, farmers loosjfnladb land
Loss of infrastructure - the gas terminal at easing ton is st risk from n going erosion
Loss of SSSis - the laggoons at easingtk. Provide habitats for many rare species of bird.
What hard engineering had been used on the coastline?
Bird is protected by a 4.7km sea wall as well as timber grounded
There is Rio rap and a seas walk at Hornsea
A 500 meter king recentment was built in 1991 at Maplltkn to protect he village and the busy B1242 coastal road
The eastern side of Sourn head is protected by grounds and riprap
Why are existing schemes not sustainable?
The grounds at bird have increased beach width there but starved frown the coast of sediment increasing erosion
This has also decreased sand built up I. The Humber estuary leading to increased flooding risk
Bays are developing between defended areas increasing pressure on the defences as headlands.
What are the challenges for the area?
The local Shoreline management plan recommends holding the line at settlemtbs and allowing managed retreat I rural areas which is unpopular with local land owners
Managed realignment has also been propers where everything roles back allowing natural erosion andncompensatio. For business however there may not be land to replace farms etc.
In 1995 a fatalistic approach was taken at sourb head to help save money and return to normal however this is putting coastal habitats k. The west at risk of damage
Revetments included in the smp recommendation advancing th elk e at the gas plant at Easingtkn which is excelerating eroosuin Of sssis to the South.
