Shoreline Management Plan 7
(Previously Sub-Cell 3C)

Introduction
Need for the Review
Stakeholder Engagement
Representative Members' Forum
Client Steering Group
Key Stakeholder Forum
Other Stakeholders

In line with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) guidance, the objectives and general principles for this review of the SMP are to:

• set out the risks from flooding and erosion to people and the developed, historic and natural environment within the SMP area;
• identify opportunities to maintain and improve the environment by managing the risks from floods and coastal erosion;
• identify the preferred policies for managing risks from floods and erosion over the next century;
• identify the consequences of putting the preferred policies into practice;
• set out procedures for monitoring how effective these policies are;
• inform others so that future land use, planning and development of the shoreline takes account of the risks and the preferred policies;
• discourage inappropriate development in areas where the flood and erosion risks are high; and
• meet international and national nature conservation legislation and aim to achieve the biodiversity objectives (see the glossary).

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Need for the Review

The SMP was published in 1998 and the time has arrived for a review to ensure that the management policies of the coastline are still the most appropriate. Officers from the SMP 3C Sub-cell Group met in November 2005 and identified the following reasons why the SMP should be reviewed:

• There have been significant changes along the coastline since the first SMP was completed in May 1998.
• Much greater knowledge of the coastline has been gained since 1998.
• The updating of the SMP is overdue.
• Suffolk Coastal District Council and Waveney District Council are preparing their Local Development Frameworks under new legislation and one of the core strategies is to protect, enhance, and manage built environment & natural resources of the District s. Supporting information on the current coastal issues is required.
• Defra has published draft policy guidance for the production of SMPs. The current SMP policies may not meet the criteria contained in the guidance. This could affect the availability of grant aid for scheme implementation.
• Natural England is encouraging maritime local authorities to take a longer term view of the natural processes for their coastline and to re-examine specific problem areas.
• Estuary strategy plans for the Rivers Blyth, Deben, and Alde & Ore will be completed during 2007/08. The policies adopted need to be related to an up to date SMP.

The review and update of the SMP will involve six stages:

• Stage 1: Scope the SMP
• Stage 2: Assessments to Support Policy Development
• Stage 3: Policy Development
• Stage 4: Public Examination
• Stage 5: Finalise Plan
• Stage 6: Plan Dissemination.

Suffolk Coastal District Council is acting as lead partner for the review of the SMP covering the coast between Lowestoft Ness and Felixstowe Landguard Point.

Terry Oakes Associates Ltd (TOAL) undertook the preparatory work, produced the outline programme, and prepared the tender documentation. TOAL is project managing the SMP review being undertaken by Royal Haskoning UK Ltd.

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Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement is a critical element in the review process to ensure that interested parties are involved in identifying and resolving the issues identified in the review process.

• A Representative Members Forum (RMF)
• The Client Steering Group (CSG)
• A Key Stakeholders Forum (KSF)
• Other Stakeholders

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Representative Members Forum

The member organisations have established a Representative Members Forum (RMF) to oversee the review of the SMP. The RMF comprises Elected Members from Suffolk Coastal District Council, Waveney District Council, Suffolk County Council and members of the Environment Agency’s Anglian (Eastern) Regional Flood Defence Committee. In general, their responsibilities and tasks are to:

• Agree the overall scope of the SMP
• Agree the issues to be dealt with by the SMP
• Agree key stakeholder strategy
• Agree key stakeholders representation
• Agree the priority of the issues
• Agree the objectives for the SMP
• Agree the draft proposals from the Consultant
• Agree the activities of the Client Steering Group
• Agree the policies to be contained within draft SMP
• Seek ratification of SMP policies

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Client Steering Group

A Client Steering Group, comprises officers from Suffolk Coastal District Council, Waveney District Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England, British Energy and Suffolk County Council, is managing the review and leading on stakeholder engagement. Their responsibilities and tasks are to:

• Provide the client expertise in deciding the scope of the SMP.
• Represent engineering, planning and conservation interests.
• Maintain liaison with Defra.
• Liaise with local members to establish the Representative Members’ Forum and Key Stakeholders’ Forum (KSF).
• Convene meetings of the RMF and KSF.
• Support the RMF and provide the secretariat.
• Report back to client organisations.
• Work in partnership with the Consultant to develop:
• the overall scope of the SMP.
• the issues to be dealt with by the SMP.
• the priority of the issues.
• the objectives for the SMP.
• the draft proposals of the SMP.
• Manage and oversee the public examination of the draft SMP including the methods and material to be used.
• Provide listing of initial stakeholders to Consultant.
• Seek ratification of SMP policies.

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