Wales must prepare for coastal erosion such as the landslip that left 15 caravans teetering on the edge of cliff near Barry, a minister says.

Environment Minister John Griffiths is launching a new strategy aimed at managing and reducing the risks and fall out of flooding and erosion.

It aims to raise awareness, improve responses and prioritise investment in the areas most at risk.

One expert says people must accept saving all the coastline is too costly.

The Welsh government estimates one in six properties in Wales is at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.

Mr Griffiths is launching a new national strategy at Borth in Ceredigion where £12m is being spent on a coastal flood defence scheme to protect 422 homes and businesses.

He referred to the “significant flooding” in 1990, which saw around 2,800 properties flooded and thousands evacuated when defences were breached in Towyn and Kinmel Bay areas in north Wales.

Mr Griffiths said this month’s rock fall at the Porthkerry, near Barry, which left 15 caravans teetering on a cliff edge had been a stark reminder of the dangers faced.

Loss of land

“The evidence suggests that in future we may see more events like these, with higher sea levels, increases in the intensity of rainfall and more frequent flooding,” he said.

“The consequence of that flooding will include greater risks to life, the economy and the environment.

“Coastal erosion will increase, with more coastal communities facing the loss of land, properties and resources.”

But he said with proper planning the risks could be managed and the consequences reduced.

He said the Welsh government would continue to invest in flood and coast protection and a successful bid for £50m of European money had offset any reduction in the government’s budget.

Prof Mike Phillips, head of the school of built and natural environment at Swansea Metropolitan University, said there were already a lot of good partnerships in Wales but the work needed to be built on.

Better predictions

“What is changing now and where I think we are starting to make great advances is in realising some times it’s too expensive to defend the coastline,” he explained.

He said areas of high economic importance would continue to be protected but in other parts a “managed retreat” was a better option.

And he said experts were now much better at predicting areas that may be at risk.

“Modelling is a lot better and the predictions are a lot better.”

He said there had been a lot of work recently in understanding the different factors at work around the beaches at Tenby in Pembrokeshire.

And he welcomed the fact every local authority would have to produce its own strategy based on the national one.

“We have to make sure that where we are developing near the shore line we get people who understand the coastal processes in that area to respond,” he added.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) manages a database with the records of over 180 landslides around Wales and says they can be hard to predict.

Dr Helen Reeves, a senior engineering geologist with the BGS said: “It’s a natural process and it’s very difficult to stop but there are ways we can mitigate against it and there are certain engineering solutions that you can put in place.”

Story on the BBC News website

A recent rock fall which left caravans hanging over a cliff in South Wales brought the issue of coastal erosion into stark focus. In a special report, Rachael Misstear visits a defence project which it is hoped could protect our shoreline – and boost tourism

IT was recently named as Wales’ best place to bring up children, but the future of the village itself was in jeopardy due to decades of unrelenting coastal erosion.

Now it is hoped that part of Borth’s coastline will be protected for several generations thanks to a £12.9m coastal defence project which could also boost tourism.

Scheduled to be completed in January, the project includes an artificial barrier reef – which will stretch for up to 300 metres off the coast.

In all there are six structures – two groynes, two breakwaters and two offshore reefs.

Experts believe that the man-made reef will break the waves before they reach the shore and provide excellent conditions for surfers, who could help boost the local seaside economy.

The pioneering idea to incorporate a tourism amenity within the protection scheme may well be a benchmark for other similar coastal defence schemes being planned around the UK.

The epic project has seen 288,000 tonnes of hardcore brought to the shore, with giant 10-tonne boulders shipped in from Norway during the 12-month construction.

It has taken 16 years of planning, consultation and funding battles, but it is hoped the scheme will be the first of a series of vital phases to improve the area’s sea defences.

Built on a shingle ridge in Cardigan Bay, the village, just north of Aberystwyth, was recognised as being particularly vulnerable to the effects of the sea, with decades of damage eating away the shoreline.

Each winter, storms batter properties, with flooding damaging homes and spilling on to the high street, leaving few residents able to insure homes.

Hundreds of those whose homes sit along the shore are expected to benefit from this first phase of the scheme, which could reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion for the next century.

The works haven’t come a moment too soon for the village.

Current 1970s timber groynes and breastwork defences were reaching the end of their lifespan, and there was a pressing need for further protection on the 6km frontage.

With a population of 1,500, which swells by 7,000 with holidaymakers, bathers and surfers each summer, it is hoped the award-winning beach will prove even more alluring to tourists in 2012.

The idea and viability of the surfing amenity was something that Ceredigion councillor Ray Quant began to investigate a decade ago.

“We were contacted by a New Zealand company, who in turn had been contacted by Borth Surf Club questioning the viability of a reef as part of the scheme,” he said

“Obviously, surfing wasn’t at all a priority, but we didn’t want to dismiss the idea out of hand either. If we could create some extra value to the project, then obviously it was worth exploring.

“I spoke to a professor from New Zealand who was interested in such schemes and he finally visited Wales and attended a community council meeting.

“Although it was something that wasn’t that well received initially, we began to look at the possibility of a new reef as a surfing amenity.

“I saw this as something that could add value to the project, which was obviously primarily to protect the coast.

“A study was carried out and talks got under way to see if the reef option could be included – and only if it could be proved it provided coastal defence.

“Borth’s main sea defence is the shingle bank, and the reef would realign the waves so they travel directly up the shore and stop shingle drifting northwards and away from the town’s coast. Any solution’s first aim had to be preventing that.”

The solution, devised by consultants Royal Haskoning for Ceredigion council, has since won massive support from the seaside community, which has contributed to planning the development.

Residents and business owners stressed during consultation how the seaside and beach was the lifeblood of the resort.

“Community engagement was vital in coming up with the right solution,” said Rhodri Llwyd, coast and rivers engineer in the council’s Department of Highways, Property & Works.

“The community wanted to retain as much of an open beach as possible; they didn’t want a wall, so the idea of a reef seemed a practical solution.”

Royal Haskoning project manager Alice Johnson said the design has been significantly influenced by the people of Borth, and the overall cost of developing the potential surf amenity was negligible.

“Essentially, adding the reef as a surfing amenity has been just a fraction of the cost of the project – costing just £163,000 more than an ordinary breakwater construction.

“In terms of design, to start with we looked at 10-12 options, right from the traditional concrete sea wall, off-shore structures all the way along, to putting lots of sand and shingle on the beach on its own.

“We also looked at putting the timber groynes back in, putting rock structures all the way along the beach – and this was what we eventually first presented to the community.

“At that point, the community said its main industry was tourism and the beach amenity was important. They wanted something that would incorporate well with the bucket and spade environment of Borth.

“The idea of having a combined reef became more credible. Residents didn’t want rock structure on their beach, so we needed an off-shore option.”

Construction is now in full flow, with a raft of plant shifting the shingle bank about and building the rock groynes and reefs.

“With the reefs and much of the breakwaters below sea level at high tide, work has to be timed carefully with activity starting on site at 6am, running through to 9pm, with a three-hour break for high tide.

Project manager Ray Jones said the rock reef was a preferred option of two designs, including another which would have been sandbank reef.

“Two tenders went in and the rock reef was chosen. Our initial tender came in at £11.5m and we needed to shave that down to £10.5m, because of the add-on costs of designers.

“We did that by looking at various material and by changing elements of the design.”

He said a key party to the project was the Countryside Council for Wales who advised on what kind of materials could be used, in terms of size, colour and appropriate shapes to fit in with the geometry of the area.

“There are six structures: two groynes, two breakwaters and two offshore reefs – 112,000 tonnes of rock, and 176,000 tonnes of shingle,” he said.

Much material was sourced locally, helping to cut the project’s carbon footprint. A quarry in Ystrad Meurig was used to source material for the bedding, seams and rock faces.

But when it came to sourcing some of the large rocks needed for the reef, the team had to take a giant delivery from Norway.

Out on the reef, the rocks are six to 10 tonnes, and won’t be found at Welsh quarries, so they were sourced from Norway.

Barges carried two loads of 24,000 tonnes of rocks, brought to shore by smaller barges on each high tide.

The 124,000 tonnes of shingle replacement, buried in the lower part of the beach, came from Ystrad Meurig. A further 47,000 tonnes of rounded shingle was brought from Porthmadog and 5,000 tonnes of shingle came from an Aberystwyth river bed.

As Borth is essentially one long high street, bringing in huge lorries was impractical, so deliveries were made at each end of the beach and transported from there.

The scheme could set a precedent for dozens of other vulnerable Welsh coastal sites.

A report by the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) predicts a two-metre water level rise in the next 50 to 100 years.

It warns that without better coastal defences, towns along the country’s beautiful coastline face being lost.

Borth residents John and Elin Hefin, whose property backs onto the beach front, said the benefits of the protection had already become apparent.

“In September, when storms battered the coast, the violent waves which would have hit the shore and splashed properties, had been broken up before hitting them,” said Mrs Hefin. “It looks promising and has been a vital investment for our village.”

Mr Hefin added: “We feel that in terms of public spending this is great value, at £12m our coast is being safeguarded and literally hundreds of homes will be protected.”

Story by Rachael Misstear in the Western Mail

THE Welsh Government has launched a strategy to manage coastal erosion, just a week after 13 caravans were left hanging over the edge of a cliff by a rock fall.

The incident at Porthkerry, in the Vale of Glamorgan, was a “devastating” reminder of the consequences of coastal erosion, said Environment Minister John Griffiths.

He told the Senedd: “We have recently been reminded of the potentially devastating consequences of coastal erosion, with the disturbing images presented to us in the media.

“While we are grateful no one was hurt, this incident demonstrates the very real threat posed by coastal erosion. The Welsh Government is working with the Vale of Glamorgan council, the Environment Agency and others to consider the incident and its wider ramifications.”

The Newport AM explained that the national strategy would have four key objectives, and set the “overarching framework for a holistic flood and coastal erosion risk management system”.

“It will embrace the actions of everyone, from government to the individual, to increase our nation’s resilience to the impacts and consequences of flooding and coastal erosion,” he said.

The four objectives are, reducing the consequences from flooding and coastal erosion, raising awareness of and engaging people in the response to flood and coastal erosion risk, providing an effective and sustained response to flood and coastal erosion events and prioritising investment in the most at risk communities.

“We have maintained the overall level of funding for flood and coastal risk management, which sees a small cash increase over the period of the budget,” said Mr Griffiths. “The reduction in capital budget has also been offset by our successful £50m bid for the European Regional Development Funding to support a programme of flood and coastal improvement schemes.

“Investment in these schemes will provide economic opportunities at a local and national level, with new, sustainable and innovative approaches required to ensure that in future we move beyond defence and drainage alone, and find ways to work with natural processes.

“Regular reviews of the changing nature of flood and coastal erosion risk in Wales will be undertaken over its life, and the National Strategy itself will be reviewed in 2016.”

Story by Kathryn Williams on the WalesOnline website

Several caravans at a South Wales caravan park have been left hanging from the edge of a cliff after a large section of it broke away and crashed to the beach below.

Around 40ft of rock came away from the cliff face at the Knapp Beach end of the Porthkerry Leisure Park in the Vale of Glamorgan.

It is understood no caravans went over the edge but 13 could be seen sticking well out over the edge. At least one was occupied at the time and the woman was said to be “petrified”.

The caravan park is occupied year round.

Vale of Glamorgan council officers are on the ground assessing the situation.

Doug Davies who has lived on the leisure park for eight years with his wife, Pam, said: “I’ve never seen anything like it before. I didn’t see it happen myself but others said it sounded like fireworks going off.

“The static caravans are there at the edge of the cliff and then there is a sheer drop down to the beach of about 40ft.

“There was one woman in a caravan at the time and the rest were empty because people are leaving the site at this time of year.

“The woman was helped from her caravan by friends. She was petrified but wasn’t hurt.”

Hanna Stradling, 30, of Rhoose, is due to have her wedding reception with 200 guests at the weekend at the park’s Ocean Lounge, which looks out to sea.

She said: “I’m worried because I don’t know if the reception will be able to go ahead. They’ve told me that it will be okay but there is still some doubt.”

Miles Punter, head of visible services at the Vale council, said: Any significant rock fall or incident of coastal erosion is clearly a matter of concern and we are currently investigating this particular incident.

“I would however point out that while the council has a role in monitoring the coastline in its area, the responsibility for protecting private land and property along the coastline lies with the relevant land or property owners.

The council has adopted a Shoreline Management plan for this section of the coast which suggests that any repairs to cliffs or the introduction of any built sea defences would be inappropriate, recommending instead ‘no active intervention’.

“Our officers will however assess the current site risks from this recent occurrence and advise the landowners of any remedial works that may be necessary, including those that may be required to protect users of the beach.

Alun Cairns, the area’s MP, said he would be speaking with the landowners, the local authority and the Environment Agency to find out more about the incident and to understand what measures can be put in place to ensure that this can be avoided in the future.

Mr Cairns said: “I was shocked to hear the news about the landfall, but so pleased that no one was hurt – it must have been a really frightening experience for those staying on the caravan park.

“Porthkerry Leisure Park is a large site, and to have an instance of this coastal erosion is a concern.

“I will be contacting the land owners, the Vale of Glamorgan council and the Environment Agency to find out what remedial works may be necessary to safeguard the area for leisure park residents and for the public who access the beach.”

Story by Peter Collins on the WalesOnline website

A man-made barrier reef created as part of a £29m coastal defence scheme is expected to bring more surfers to mid Wales.

The 300m (984ft) reef, at Borth near Aberystwyth, is due to be completed in November.

Ceredigion council said it would provide protection from coastal erosion and flooding.

But surfing schools say it will attract enthusiasts from across the UK, and could ease overcrowding in other areas.

With a population of 1,500, which swells by 7,000 with an influx of holidaymakers, bathers and surfers, it is hoped the 6km-long award-winning Borth beach will now become even more alluring to visitors.

Simon Turner of Aber Adventures, which organises surfing lessons along Cardigan Bay, said it was “highly likely” the reef would attract more surfers.

“It is one of the first in the world that is purpose-built using rocks,” he said.

‘Constant pressure’

“It is a unique project. It gives us another resource from a surfing point of view.”

Popular surfing spots were “under constant pressure” and suffered from overcrowding.

“It’s a new scheme so people will want to see it. This will disperse crowds in other areas,” he said.

The project has been jointly funded by the Welsh Government and the Welsh European Funding Office.

It will comprise two rock breakwaters, two rock groynes, shingle nourishment and the construction of the off-shore reef.

Although its primary function is coastline protection, the reef has been designed to improve surfing conditions at high tide.

‘Protecting’

A Ceredigion council spokeswoman said: “It will not create waves but will instead act to focus and shape the waves in an attempt to improve surfability, hopefully giving surfers a longer controlled ride.”

She added it was not the intention to “provide a surfer’s paradise”, but to provide protection to the village of Borth from coastal erosion and flooding while providing added amenity benefits by retaining an open beach.

Val Hawkins, chief executive of Mid Wales Tourism, said: “The artificial reef and coastal protection work are excellent news for Borth.

“Tourism is a very important industry in the area and the beach at Borth is particularly well-known for surfing.

“We hope this new investment will attract many new surfers to mid Wales whilst also protecting Borth and adjoining the coastal area.”

Story on the BBC News website

HUNDREDS of homes in Aberaeron and New Quay will be lost to the sea if action is not taken now to protect them over the next hundred years, a shock new report warns.

Ceredigion Council is currently consulting on the latest Shoreline Management Plan, which seeks to address the challenges caused by rising water levels. The report predicts a two-metre rise over the next 50 to 100 years leaving residents in New Quay making a desperate plea for action to prevent their homes crumbling into the sea as a result of cliff top erosion.

Story on the Cambrian News website

LLANDUDNO is at ‘high risk’ of flooding in the next 50 years unless work is taken to strengthen sea defences, new research shows.

It is believed that sea level rises could hit parts of the town in the future unless flood defence works are implemented.

Last week, residents in Llandudno met to discuss plans as part of the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). The multi agency backed scheme outlines measures to tackle the threat of sea level rise and assess the risks of sea erosion to the coastline.

Dyfed Rowlands, Conwy County Council’s environment manager said: “The flood risk doesn’t look too bad at the moment but in the future, certainly with the impact of climate change and sea levels rising we should be thinking what should be done for the future,” he said.

“Any storm could overwhelm our sea defences. We are fairly well defended at the moment, but we are going to have more storms in the future at shorter intervals which will cause flooding.”

Long term plans could include extending the rock defences on the West Shore. Other options could see sand dunes extended as a natural defence for flooding.

He added that sea level rise could also cause water to come from underground through the sewers, but he believes it was not likely to cause ‘extensive’ damage.

Cllr Jason Weyman said that Llandudno was marked as ‘very high risk’ in the plans.

“If nothing is done in Llandudno it could be hit in 50 to 100 years by sea levels rising one or two metres. It would not cope with a nominal one metre or potential two metre rise in sea levels over the next 100 years.” he said.

“The plan challenges the thoughts that just building sea walls higher and higher it not a sustainable future. Rather than sea views, residents will end of up with sea wall views.

“In the words of the consultant, if Llandudno was not so important in terms of economics and housing, then the decision would be just to let the sea reclaim it. We have a fair few years until this point but the plans do need some thought on how we deal with the threat.

But despite the consultation, Cllr Weyman added that he was disappointed by the low turnout.

Elsewhere, Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr were considered as part of the proposals.

Have your say on the Shoreline Management Plan at www.westofwalessmp.org.

Story by Rayyan Parry on the North Wales Weekly News website

Story on the News Wales website

Read more about the West of Wales SMP

The Environment Minister, Jane Davidson, has approved a Welsh Assembly Government grant of over £2.7m million towards the first phase of coastal protection works Colwyn Bay. Work is expected to start on the project later this month.

The first phase of the Council’s coastal defence strategy, estimated to cost £5 million, has already been approved for £2.3 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The existing sea walls were built in the late nineteenth century and now protect heavily developed areas of Colwyn Bay including residential and commercial properties and significant local and strategic infrastructure including the A55 Expressway and North Wales Coast Railway. Due to falling beach levels the defences have become increasingly exposed to storms resulting in increased damage and risk of failure.

Conwy County Borough Council’s defence strategy proposes to re-nourish the beach with sand and improve the sea walls. This first phase is to build a 200m rock groyne to the east of the Pier to contain future sand nourishment. In addition to funding for the coastal defence works, there is an additional £3m available for the enhancement of the promenade in this area funded through the ERDF Physical Regeneration in North Wales project. Proposals are currently out to consultation with the expectation that work will start on this scheme once the coastal defence element of the project is complete.

Commenting on the project the Minister said: “One in six properties in Wales is currently at risk of flooding, with flooding estimated to cause in the region of £200 million of damage each year. We recognise that as the climate changes and sea level rises, flood and coastal erosion risk is set to increase significantly over time and the Welsh Assembly Government is leading a major change in the way we manage flood and erosion risk to address this. We will have to adapt to increased flood and erosion risk by employing a wide range of measures such as improving warnings and community resilience and how we plan for coastal change.”

Story on the build.co.uk website

A £12m pound coastal defence project at Borth in Ceredigion has been given the go-ahead.

The work will reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion at the seaside resort near Aberystwyth for the next century.

It will include an artificial reef that will also aim to attract surfers.

Work is expected to start on the project which has been confirmed by Environment Minister Jane Davidson in January.

The 140 metre by 40 metre reef made of rock will be built alongside a 70 metre by 40 metre oblong breakwater placed 300 metres out to sea at the south end of the village.

These structures will generate a wider beach inshore to provide coastal protection for Borth.

The project will also include two rock coastal defences and two breakwaters placed at intervals along the four-mile long beach.

The existing coastal defences, built in 1960, have come to the end of their life and about 330 properties are at risk from flooding, including 40 commercial buildings, the Cambrian Coast Railway and the B 4353 road.

Borth county councillor Ray Quant said: “This is fantastic news for the Borth community after so much uncertainty over the years on the financial resources needed to deliver a quality new coastal defence scheme.”

He added the funding would enable the project to move forward, especially since its cost has increased from the initial budget of £7.5m.

“The coastal defence of Borth is long overdue and it will help to manage the risk of flooding along the the length of the village for the next 100 years,” he said.

“There has been a lot of tests to see how the reef will work and the experts are confident it will be successful.

“I am also delighted that it will create an improved amenity for surfers.

“It will also allow snorkelling opportunities near the reef because marine life is expected to colonise around it.”

Kwale Salam runs Walkin-on-water surf school which provides surfing instruction at Borth from March to November.

“From a surfing point of view there isn’t one successful reef in Britain at the moment,” he said

“Until this reef is built it’s impossible to say if it will work or not but I am sure that it will be successful from a coastal defence perspective and will bring much needed money to try and regenerate Borth.”

Environment Minister Jane Davidson said: “One in six properties in Wales is currently at risk of flooding, with flooding estimated to cause in the region of £200m of damage each year.

“We recognise that as the climate changes and sea level rises, flood and coastal risk is set to increase significantly over time.”

The £6.5m grant for the Ceredigion Council scheme has already been approved for £5.5m from the European Regional Development Fund.

Story on the BBC website