Hard Management Case Study: Coastal Town Of Morecambe, Lancashire

Question 1

Lancashire county council, like all others on the UK coast has 4 defence options (SMP):

Answer 1

• hold the line: retain the existing coastline by maintaining current defences or constructing new ones where existing structures no longer provide sufficient protection
• do nothing but monitor: on some stretches of coastline,bit is not technically, economically or environmentally viable to undertake defence works- the value of the built environment here does not exceed the cost of installing coastal defences
• retreat the line: allowing the coastline to retreat in a managed way (e.g. creating salt-marsh environments by deliberately breaching flood banks that protect low-quality farmland.
• advance the line: build new defences seaward of the existing line

Question 2

What are some background facts?

Answer 2

• current defences along the 8.5km stretch of coastline are the result of a comprehensive improvement scheme of the existing structures during a seven-phase programme over 18 years costing £28 million
• it includes a mix of traditional hard engineering strategies with more contemporary methods to improve the potential for sustainable management

Question 3

What are the 5 strategies implemented?

Answer 3

1- rock armour to enhance and protect the existing sea wall
2- rock groynes
3- traditional recurved sea wall 
4- gabions 
5- concrete revetment and sea wall

Question 4

Explain how rock armour is used to enhance and protect the existing sea wall (strategy 1)

Answer 4

• boulders of locally sourced limestone were placed along the majority of the existing promenade and sea walls from the western end of the promenade to about one kilometre east of the town centre
• just shirt of 450,000 tonnes of rock was installed

Question 5

Explain the use of rock groynes (strategy 2)

Answer 5

• around 10 breakwaters and rock grounds were built at intervals in front of the town
• these included a number of fish-tail breakwaters
• just under a million tonnes of locally sourced limestone boulders were used

Question 6

Explain the use of traditional recurved sea wall

Answer 6

• much of the length of the promenade in front of both Heysham and Morecambe had existing traditional recurved concrete sea walls
• in places, these were repaired and reinforced

Question 7

Explain the use of gabions (strategy 4)

Answer 7

• over 500 cages, measuring 2X1X1, filled with small limestone boulders used in various locations to reinforce the coast

Question 8

Explain the use of concrete revetment and sea wall (strategy 5)

Answer 8

• to the West of Heysham Head, extending to the port and power stations, the existing sea wall and large concrete revetments were repaired and left in place

Question 9

Although a range of traditional hard engineering strategies were implemented, they were designed in ways that were sympathetic to Morecambe Bay’s classification as a

Answer 9

• Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and aimed to support the sustainable development of the shoreline
• e.g. the local sourcing of limestone for the rock armour and rock grinned meant that it was of the same geological origin as the rocks of the coastline
• as most of the quarries were less than 10km away, this also reduced the carbon footprint of its transportation
• the location of breakwaters and rock groynes is such that it has created a series of small bays to encourage beach formation, to act as a soft engineering strategy to reinforce the hard defences
• as well as encouraging beach formation between the breakwaters, almost 100,000 tonnes of sand and 20,00 tones of shingle were used for beach nourishment between Heysham and the eastern end of the promenade (another soft strategy)

Question 10

What is the main land-use along the stretch of coastline?

Answer 10

• hotel and guest houses line the promenade
• town centre including traditional seaside resort facilities
• Heysham nuclear power station and Heysham port
• sandstone cliffs of Heysham Head- site of historical and ecological importance