Poole Bay / Harbour Case Study

Location

Dorset Southern England 16km long sandbanks

What is happening?

1. Rising sea levels threaten the area due to climate change.

2. Area already exposed to erosion could be at further risk if not managed properly.

Why should we protect this area?

1. History - there are finds from the Iron Age.

2. Environment - mud flats, salt marshes and sand dunes provide important habitats for wildlife.

3. Recreation and Leisure - attract tourists to the area.

4. Geology - close to the Jurassic Coast.

5. Tourism - important to the local economy (£107million spent in 2008).

6. Transport - ferries link Studland and Sandbanks.

7. Houses and businesses - 140,000 people live and work there.

8. Conservation - Natural reserves, SSSI's, RSPB.

9. Energy - Wytch Farm is the largest onshore oil well in Europe.

10. Industry - Luxury yachts are made here.

What are the effects?

1. See 'why protect'.

2. Sea was stop the natural supply of sand so beaches would disappear.

3. Sandbanks is a spit so needs to be protected.

What is affected?

Home owners; ship builders; local economy; environmental protection groups; the wildlife; locals feel left out of the decision making.

How can this be managed?

1. Hold the line - construct rock groynes using 20,000 tonnes of rock costing £1.9million paid by the government.

2. Improve cliff drainage - £3million.

3. Beach monitoring programme - help environment agency to plan for the future.

4. Managed realignment - relocate facilities under threat, remove baboons and allow dunes to develop, limit car parking, no dogs on the beach, ban jet skis and locate facilities for tourists near to car park to control where visitors go.

What are options for the future?

Use local rock for groynes, construction in winter to limit effect to tourists, or dredge the harbour so it is deeper.

The Sandbanks peninsula separates which two areas?

Poole Harbour & Poole Bay

Map of Poole bay

Poole Harbour

One of the UK's largest natural harbours. Two spits have formed at the mouth.

Poole properties

High demand for houses the cheapest are around £2 Million and they go up to 10 Million pounds

Why are beaches a reason to manage the coastline?

They are a tourist attraction because they have gently sloping beaches which makes it safe to swim as well as a Blue Flag Award for water quality

Why is Poole Harbour a reason to manage the peninsula?

Because it is a cross channel for commercial ships and catamarans

If no management strategies were put in place, what would happen to Poole Harbour

Longshore drift would deposit sand in the habour causing it to become clogged and shallow

Why is climate change and sea level rise a reason to manage the peninsula?

Sea levels are predicted to rise as a result of climate change, which would flood commercial and residential properties

without rock groynes what would the erosion rate be per year?

1.6m

By how much is the sea level in the area meant to rise in the next 100 years?

0.6m

How much damage would be done to residential homes without management?

£18million in the next 20 years

How much sediment has been added to Poole Bay thus far?

3.5million m3