Case study - Holderness

Question 1

What rock type is found at Holderness?

Answer 1

Consists of chalk and boulder clay which are both soft rocks and so easily get erroded

Question 2

Rate of erosion at Holderness

Answer 2

• main issue is cliff retreat
• average rate of erosion is 2 metres per year
• roman maps show 30 settlements lost since that time caused by beach erosion

Question 3

What stretch of the 61km coastline is currently protected by hard-engineering?

Answer 3

11.4 km

Question 4

What is Bridlington protected by?

Answer 4

4.7 km long sea wall and timber groynes

Question 5

At Hornsea what is there to protect the village?

Answer 5

• concrete sea wall
• timber groynes
• rip rap

Question 6

What helps protect Hornsea caravan park?

Answer 6

Gabions

Question 7

What helps protect Easington Gas terminal?

Answer 7

A revetment

Question 8

What was built at mappleton in 1991, how much did this cost and what did it protect?

Answer 8

• two rock groynes and 500m long revetment
• cost £2 million
• built to protect the village and the B1242 coastal road

Question 9

What is located at withernsea and what has happened since damage in 1992?

Answer 9

• groynes and sea wall
• rip rap placed in front of wall after storms in 1992

Question 10

What is the issue with the scheme?

Answer 10

It has worked locally but has caused problems downstream

Question 11

What is the problem with groynes?

Answer 11

They trap sediment which increases the width of the beaches - this protects local area but increases erosion of the cliffs downdrift as the material eroded from the beaches there is not replenished

Question 12

An example of how groynes have failed

Answer 12

• Mappleton scheme has caused increased erosion of the cliffs south of Mappleton
• Cowden Farm is now at risk of falling into the sea

Question 13

How does reduction in sediment increase flood risk at humber estuary and increase erosion along the Lincolnshire coast?

Answer 13

Sediment produced from erosion is not washed into the Humber estuary where it helps to form tidal mudflats

Question 14

What is the issue with the protection of local areas leading to the formation of bays between them?

Answer 14

As bays develop the wave pressure on headlands increases and eventually the cost of maintain sea defences may become too high

Question 15

What is the issue with the Shoreline Management Plan for Holderness and what does it suggests should happen in the next 50 years?

Answer 15

• suggests ‘holding the line’ at some settlements (e.g. Mappleton and Bridlington)
• suggests ‘doing nothing’ along more unpopulated stretches
• problem as it is unpopular with owners of land or property along stretches where nothing is being done

Question 16

What are issues caused by suggested coastal realignment of businesses?

Answer 16

• more sustainable scheme as it would allow coast to erode as normal without endangering businesses
• however, there are issues surrounding how much businesses will be compensated for by relocating
  also difficult to relocate farmland

Question 17

What are issues with the proposed sea wall to better protect Easington Gas terminal?

Answer 17

• cost £4.5 million
• problem is it would reduce sediment flow to the south, increasing erosion at village of Easington (population 700)
• longer sea wall could be built that could protect villages and gas terminal but that would cost £7 million

Question 18

What are the main effects of the coastal erosion?

Answer 18

• loss of houses
• loss of farmland
• Eastington gas terminals are threatened
• erosion leads to loss of jobs in areas relying on tourism
• young people leave due to lack of oppurtunities and safe housing

Question 19

What helps protect the eastern side of spurn head?

Answer 19

• groynes
• rip rap

Question 20

What has happened at spurn point?

Answer 20

• defences abandoned in 1961 due to maintainance costs
• biodiversity has declined