Local Coastal Change Adaptation Plan Technical Report Summary

Summary

North Ayrshire Council (NAC) has appointed Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) to assist in developing their approach to Coastal Change Adaptation Plans (CCAP) for the North Ayrshire coastline.

The North Ayrshire coastline is approximately 150km in length, including around 50km along the mainland and a further 100km of shoreline around the two main islands of Great Cumbrae and Arran. While the shoreline comprises long lengths of natural cliffs and dunes, there are also significant lengths protected by manmade defences to important towns such as Skelmorlie, Largs, Fairlie, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Irvine on the mainland and Millport, Brodick, Lamlash and Whiting Bay on the islands. In addition, there are numerous smaller villages, ports and harbours, together with important transport routes, that are all set within an area of important natural landscape and significant ecological value.

The coastline, therefore, presents a complex challenge for coastal and shoreline management that must take account of the significant detailed local needs alongside the need to consider important interactions across a much broader area.

North Ayrshire Council wish to ensure that in developing the CCAP, that study areas are defined to capture both local complexity alongside the localised and broader scale interactions.

At present the North Ayrshire coastline is covered by the Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), developed in 2018. The SMP sets out policy for coastal risk management over the North & South Ayrshire coastline. In addition to this there have been significant studies undertaken of specific local areas. The approach taken to the development of the CCAP aims to build upon the work already undertaken, to maintain continuity in management, and to consolidate previous information all in line with the recent guidance from Scottish Government (2023) on the development of CCAPs.

The overall approach is described in more detail in Section 1 of the full report but the aim is to develop local area CCAPs that draw on existing information but include the findings of more recent local studies.

The full report focusses on two specific areas, where detailed studies have been undertaken:

• Saltcoats to Stevenston Point
• Irvine Harbour to Gailes

The first two local CCAPs (Section 2 and 3 of the full report) have been produced as stand-alone documents. The format of these stand-alone documents can be adopted for other areas.

Specific Studies

The initial scope of the two specific studies included:

1. The identification of suitable and implementable soft engineering methods to manage coastal erosion at Stevenston Beach; in line with the adopted Ayrshire SMP.
2. A Natural Flood Risk Management study to identify suitable and implementable erosion management for the dune system at Irvine Beach, in line with the adopted Ayrshire Shoreline Management Plan (SMP).
3. The identification and outline design of suitable measures to improve, manage and safeguard beach access, given the deterioration of an existing footbridge over the Stevenston Burn.
4. The identification and outline design of suitable measures to improve, manage and safeguard beach access at Irvine Beach, given the anticipated pressures on Irvine Beach from the effects of North Ayrshire Council’s Great Harbour Masterplan.

The initial scoping studies were then developed further into Outline Option Appraisal reports for the two areas that were guided by targeted ‘working group’ consultations. After a public consultation, the Outline Appraisal reports were refined into the two Local CCAPs for each of the study areas.

The work was also informed by site walkovers, outputs from the Scottish Government’s Dynamic Coast Project, the existing and predicted physical constraints of the site. In line with the recent national guidance on Coastal Change Adaptation Plans (CCAPs), further consideration was given to the natural evolution of the coast over time.

The reports specifically look at the influence of existing defences, address concerns raised during consultations and consider potential changes within and outside of the study areas.

The reports go into detail about the management options within each ‘zone’ identified in the scoping reports, consider issues such as management of footfall and access to the beaches, and the uncertainty associated with the potential need for ongoing management of areas of spoil which exist in both study areas. This approach to management is informed by a refined assessment of future change. The reports conclude with a summary and consideration of factors affecting decision pathways in the future.

Request the full report

If you would like the full North Ayrshire Coastal Change Adaptation Plan Report that covers the:

• Approach to development of the North Ayrshire CCAP
• Local Coastal Change Adaptation Plan 6c2.B
• Local Coastal Change Management Plan 6c2.D

Please email the Flooding Team and we can provide you with a copy.