Coastal Management Case Study - Lyme Regis
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 3.2.18
Coastal Management in the UK - Lyme Regis, Dorset
Lyme Regis is a coastal town located on the south coast of England.
Coastal management
- The coast of Lyme Regis is managed because:
- Unstable cliffs and powerful waves lead to the fast erosion of the cliffs at Lyme Regis.
- Lyme Regis has a popular seafront which needs to be protected from damage.
- Previous coastal defences in Lyme Regis have NOT been successful.
Coastal defences in Lyme Regis
- The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme aims to protect the coastline at Lyme Regis.
- The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme was completed in 2015.
- The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme cost £43 million.
Phases of the scheme
- The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme had four phases:
- Phases 1 and 2 involved new sea walls being built. Rock armour was also added to protect the beach.
- Phase 3 was cancelled following a cost-benefit analysis.
- Phase 4 involved new sea walls to provide extra protection. Work to make the cliffs more stable was also completed.
Impact of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme
The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme has both a positive and negative impact on the local area.
Positive impact
- The positive impacts of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme include:
- More tourists have visited Lyme Regis because the beaches have improved.
- More tourists have visited Lyme Regis because there is better protection for the harbour.
- Lyme Regis has been successfully protected from the sea during storms.
Negative impact
- The negative impacts of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme include:
- People complain that the new defences ruin the natural coastline.
- Some people are concerned that the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme could cause erosion of other areas of the coast.
- People are worried the erosion will be worse in other areas because of changes to the process of long-shore drift.
Test yourself on Coastal Management Case Study - Lyme Regis
When was the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme completed?
What were the primary aims of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme?
What were the negative effects of the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme?
Which of these was a concern about the Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme?