22/4/2003

With sea defences predicted to rise over the next decades, more and more questions are being asked about our man made sea defences – and their impact on the Welsh coasts. The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) has commissioned a report to provide some solutions.

Nearly 75% - around 720 miles - of the Welsh coastline is designated in some way to reflect its high landscape quality and its great value to us. This coastline is extremely diverse and is economically important to Wales. But, increasing lengths of it are protected by man-made structures, many of which fundamentally alter the character of the coastline they are designed to protect.

John Briggs, CCW’s Seascapes Officer said: “Our coastline needs to be managed – it is simply a question of how. Many miles of the coastline have already been developed in one way or another, and so man-made sea defences are needed. When the defences are modified or replaced they need to be designed with care. That way we can protect or even enhance the landscape quality of the coastline.

“We have to make sure that we don’t impose brutal concrete solutions onto our scenic resources where there may be alternatives that have less impact, both on the environment and on tourism.

“Sea level rise and climate change are issues that cut across the whole planning arena – but this guidance serves to place landscape issues on the agenda alongside engineering and other considerations so that we have a balanced approach to any future initiatives,” concluded John Briggs.

Dr Maggie Hill, CCW’s Head of Maritime and Earth Sciences added: “This work is very exiting – it is the first of its kind in the UK.

“It will help us put sustainable development into practice – ensuring that any changes to our coastline are appropriate to the landscape of that area. This new guidance on coastal defence design provides a first model of what the main issues are, and how they should be considered in the design process and environmental impact assessment.”

Copies of the guidance - "Guidance for Coastal Defence in relation to their Landscape and Visual Impacts" are available on CCW’s website and can be downloaded from http://www.ccw.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?Action=View&RID=94&lang=en

Source:	Countryside Council for Wales
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