23 January 2020
The Minister for Environment, Deputy John Young, has signed a Ministerial Decision approving the long-term plans to improve Jersey’s coastal defences.
The Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), which has been developed under the joint leadership of the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for the Environment, sets out the recommendations for mitigating the effects of rising sea levels on Jersey’s coastline over the next 100 years. The aim is to prevent and manage the effects of coastal erosion and flooding.
The government has worked with climate consultants AECOM and key stakeholders to assess the risk to the community, environment and economy, and how Jersey’s coastal defences may need to be improved to provide better protection as the climate changes over the next 100 years.
With immediate effect, the SMP becomes a material consideration in any decisions made by the Planning Department, and supplementary planning guidelines will be published in the near future.
Deputy Young said: “We are all too aware of the global climate emergency, and closer to home the rising sea levels and effects of severe weather have been noticeable in more vulnerable parts of the Island.
“The SMP will enable Islanders to ensure that their homes and businesses are resilient, and will help guide planning officers to assess development proposals in coastal areas. It will also feed into the Island Plan Review to help shape what the Island will look like in the longer-term.”
The SMP was finalised following a public consultation last summer, the results of which showed that 85% of respondents supported the proposals. More than 100 stakeholder groups were consulted and 400 people attended the summer roadshow.
The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Kevin Lewis said: “Deputy Young and I have worked closely together on this joint project, and I am delighted by the outcome. The SMP not only gives Islanders guidance on how they will be affected by coastal flooding, but gives my department a clear direction on how to manage and mitigate the impact.
“Our current sea defences are of a high standard and have been recognised for their quality by AECOM. We have already completed work at Beaumont where the seawall has been adapted and a flood gate fitted to mitigate the increasing flood risk from rising sea levels.
“The SMP action plan helps us to prioritise improvements to the coastal defences in specific areas, and I will be announcing further plans to adapt priority areas – which will include public consultation – in the near future.”
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