South Milton Sands

The challenge
The wooden sea defences protecting the National Trust car park at South Milton Sands are reaching the end of their life. These defences are continually under attack from the sea and we would value your views on how the site should be managed in the future.

Sea level rise and climate change are forecast to increase the scale and pace of coastal change and as a result, many coastal sites, such as South Milton Sands are at risk from erosion more than ever before.

In recent years the National Trust and other coastal owners have had to face up to the fact that the tide cannot be held back forever and at any cost. Learning from experience, the Trust’s policy now favours adaptation to work with the forces of nature where possible. In many cases this brings new benefits to wildlife and people’s enjoyment of the area.

Background
As well as asking you for feedback, the Trust has asked members of South Milton and South Huish Parish Council’s, the AONB Service and neighbouring land owners to sit on a steering group, to advise the Trust and shape the future management of the site. Earlier this year a study was commissioned from Plymouth University’s Maritime Engineering Department to undertake independent research and identify possible future management options for the area. Four options have been identified.

The options

Do nothing.
The existing defences will fail, creating a potential hazard to the public and serious erosion.
Hold the line with rock armour.
This would be technically possible, but boulders the size of a people carrier would be needed, and there would be a very significant landscape impact and loss of usable beach.
Hold the line by re-establishing the sand dune system.
This would involve re-establishing the dune system, relocating part of the car park further back from the beach, and allowing the dune system to gradually flex in response to sea-level change.
Retreat the line.
This will involve physically moving the dune inland with the loss of the car park and an impact on the nature reserve and track.

Option ‘3’ most closely reflects The National Trust’s policies on coastal management; however no decisions will be taken until the views of interested parties have been taken in to account.

The history of South Milton Sands
We have been able to trace much of the history of the area now occupied by the National Trust car park and of the surrounding land.
Maps from the late 1800s and early 1900s show the current car park area as sand dunes, with an extensive wetland behind and a stream running out to sea next to the apartments beside the beach.

The general shoreline appears to have changed little in the last 100 years.
Occasional car parking in the sand dunes became formalised with the creation of the current car parking area in the 1960s and 1970s.
The National Trust’s involvement at South Milton began in 1980 when the Trust acquired the car park, with the aim of reducing the impact of the car park on the surrounding coastal landscape.
A major storm in the winter of 1989/90 washed away much of the frontage of the car park.
The National Trust erected timber piles at the front of the car park to try to stabilise the area in 1990 following the storm. It is now evident that the timber piles are not an effective form of defence.

So how can you help?
The National Trust and South Devon AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) Service are keen to ensure that the need for change at South Milton leads to a positive change which improves this area. We will be organising a number of local, public open days, displays and visiting interested parties to collect their views over the coming months.

We are keen to work with all those who have an interest in South Milton Sands and would like to hear your comments.

We would like your views and ideas on what you feel is important about the area and how you feel it should be managed in the future.
We are appealing for any information about the area’s history and particularly for old photographs of the beach and sand dunes.
We are also appealing for volunteers to help us manage the beach and improve the local environment.

Please write to:

David Ford, South Devon Property Manager
The National Trust
South Devon Countryside Office
Saltram House
Plymouth
PL7 1UH

Or email: sue.beegan@nationaltrust.org.uk