Activities
Shoreline Management PlansThe five Shoreline Management Plans (SMP's) that cover the whole of the area represented by the Group are complete and many strategy plans are being prepared by individual or groups of operating authorities. The SMP's will be due for review over the next two to three years. Work has already begun on the review of the 3b SMP (Sheringham to Lowestoft) and is due for completion by late 2004. This will be one of three 'pilot' SMP's currently being developed that will be help form the Procedural Guidance for the remaining 49 SMP's throughout England and Wales.
Cliff stabilisation works at Overstrand, Norfolk. Works completed 1995 after major cliff failure.
Southern North Sea Sediment Transport Study (SNSSTS2)
The sediment transport pathways and hydrodynamics of the Southern North Sea are complex and prior to this study little large-scale holistic information was available. The area possesses a wide range of coastal issues including vast floodable areas, complex estuarine systems and many kilometres of sea cliffs vulnerable to erosion. In addition to this there was some belief that the aggregate extraction industry was partly responsible for some of the problems associated with the Anglian coast. In order to address these issues Defra, the Environment Agency, English Nature, Crown Estate, BMAPA (British Marine Aggregate Producers Association) and nine local authorities combined to fund this definitive study of the processes influencing the area. Work commenced in September 2000 and was completed in mid 2002. The project team was led by Waveney District Council with members drawn from the contributors.
The study is now available for download in .pdf format at the following website;
Essex and Suffolk Flood Management Strategies
Details of the Environment Agency's Essex and Suffolk flood management strategies can be found on the following website.
http://www.essex-estuaries.co.uk/
Sub-cell Groups
Sub-cell groups formed to collaborate on the production of Shoreline Management Plans have continued to meet. Each group elects a chairperson and determines its own composition and objectives based on guidance provided by ACAG. Minutes of meetings are reported to ACAG. Major benefits, arising from the sub-groups, are the greater detail of works programmes which can be exchanged without involving distant operating authorities, the improved liaison between adjacent authorities and the ability to invite organisations, who would not qualify for ACAG membership to attend during the development of specific projects.
Frequency of meetings
The aim is for the whole ACAG group to meet about four times each year. In addition to this the individual sub-groups meet twice a year.