Sandscaping: Making innovative coastal management work in the UK

Sandscaping is an innovative coastal management approach, inspired by the Dutch Zandmotor. It involves placing a large volume of sediment to benefit one location, designing it so that natural processes move the sediment to other places where it is needed. In the right place and if designed well, the large volume and concentrated placement can reduce cost; the scale and dynamic nature can generate benefits for amenity, tourism and habitats. Translating this concept to other countries and their specific circumstances will be a challenge. In the UK, Sandscaping will only work if it is the best solution locally: a competitive business case, acceptable uncertainty, driven by a local alliance (and funding) that reflects its multiple benefits, and desirable for the communities.

A Partnership of organisations is currently exploring the first application of Sandscaping in the UK, at Bacton, on the North Norfolk coast. This is driven by the Bacton Terminal Companies’ (BTC’s) intention to implement coast protection measures for the Bacton Gas Terminal, one of the three main gas terminals in the UK, in 2018. A Sandscaping solution is the preferred Terminal protection option as it can provide the required 1 in 10,000 per year return period protection until the Terminal’s end of field life (which could be 50 years or more), without negative impacts to the villages downdrift at Bacton and Walcott. It turns out that at Bacton it can actually be designed to improve the village beaches. The design and implementation of such a solution requires innovative approaches to partnership working, the design process, securing funding, licensing, particularly in the Bacton context which is a complex and sensitive setting.