Friday 21 November 2008
Any Questions?
Welcome to any questions, where you can read frequently asked questions and answers from the Slapton Line Partnership (SLP) and ask a question of the SLP yourself.
Below are the latest 10 questions submitted. If these don't present the answers you're looking for, try browsing the entire database.
- Did the dredging at Hallsands that caused it to be washed away create the problem ?
- So why is the beach eroding ?
- Under What Circumstances Would the Road be Abandoned ?
Did the dredging at Hallsands that caused it to be washed away create the problem ?
The dredging of shingle from between the low and high water mark upto 1902 caused a fairly immediate loss of beach at Hallsands with the village becoming more vulnerable and eventually being extensively damaged in 1902 and 1917. But, there appears to have been no corresponding change in fortunes for Slapton Sands . According to the Scott Wilson report : The historical data analysis suggests that in overall terms the Slapton Sands shingle ridge has been largely stable over the last century, but with some net beach accretion at Strete gate and recession at Torcross. The report goes onto say : Long-term net erosion rates for the crest of the barrier are low, with a best estimate over 100 years of 0.1m/year for the centre of the Bay. Analysis of a number of maps and photographs for different periods of time between 1890 and the present day all indicate little overall movement of the crest. However, over shorter time periods rates of 0.4-0.6m have been found.So why is the beach eroding ?
There are three key beach processes at work at Slapton Sands : - Short-term storm impacts - Medium term longshore transport gradients - Long-term sea level rise (both from post glacial relaxation and climate change ??" currently totalling around 2 mm per year) causing the shingle barrier to rollback landwards The damage to the road in 2001 seems to have been a combination of a severe storm on top of high tide and at a point when the beach volumes above mid and high water levels at the location were at the lowest recorded value in the 31-year record. Examination of aerial photographs from 1999 shows that, compared to adjacent areas, the face of the shingle ridge was further seawards at the central car park and at the location where the road was undermined. Therefore these areas had steeper beaches and were at higher risk of greater erosion than other areas.Under What Circumstances Would the Road be Abandoned ?
- A number of factors will be taken into account in deciding whether or not to repair storm damage to the A379 between Torcross and Strete Gate:
- The likelihood of a reoccurrence of the conditions that led to significant damage;
- Financial costs of road repairs and the availability of funding;
- Extent of damage to the road surface and supporting embankment;
- Environmental conditions, and;
- What stage the adaptation plan had reached.
It is likely that the following circumstances would lead to a recommendation for abandonment of the road:
- A total breach of the shingle embankment;
- Loss of shingle ridge protection to the embankment supporting the road, and loss of part of the width of the road over a significant length.
The highway authority will consult the local community in making a decision on the repair or abandonment of the road.
Extracted from minutes of Steering Group September 2006
