29th July 2010 Policy documents
This section of the website contains copies of policy documents and other relevant information published by members of the Cuckmere Estuary Partnership and others. For more information about any of these documents, please contact the relevant Partnership member.
National Policies
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Defra is responsible for setting legislation, policy, regulations and guidance for a number of environmental issues. Their aim is to protect and improve the environment, and to integrate these goals into policies across the government and internationally.
On Defra’s website there are a number of policy and guidance documents available on subjects such as coastal change and flood risk management.
Making space for water: a new strategy for flood and coastal erosion management
Policy Statement on appraisal of flood and coastal erosion risk management
Guidance on managed realignment and compensation
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDBP) sponsored by Defra. They implement flood risk management policies and work to minimise the impacts from floods.
The Environment Agency develop flood management plans for flooding from rivers and at the coast. These are called Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMPs) for rivers, and Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) for sea flooding and coastal erosion.
Environment Agency: Position Statement on Flood Risk Management
Environment Agency: Shoreline Management Plans
Environment Agency: Catchment Flood Management Plans
The National Trust: Coastal Policy
The National Trust cares for over 700 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nearly 10 per cent of the total mileage. The National Trust Coastal Policy, published in 2006, sets out how The Trust wants to manage the coast in the future.
For more information about the work of the National Trust at the coast, please email southdowns@nationaltrust.org.uk
The National Trust Coastal Policy
Local and Regional Policies
Environment Agency: Cuckmere Estuary Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
This report, published in March 2008, sets out the Environment Agency’s review of how flood risk should be managed in the Cuckmere Estuary. Based on this review, the EA’s strategy for the area is to stop maintaining the existing flood defences and allow it to go back to being a tidal estuary.
Further information on this report can be found on the EA website or from the EA on 08708 506506.
Cuckmere SEA Environmental Report – Non Technical Summary
Appendix 1 – Relevant Plans and Policies
Appendix 2 – List of Consultees and Responses
Appendix 5 – Cultural Heritage
Appendix 6 – Rejected Scenarios
Appendix 7 – Scenario Description Tables
Appendix 8 – Environmental Assessment Tables
Appendix 10 – Groundwater Quality
Environment Agency: Cuckmere and Sussex Havens Catchment Flood Management Plan
This summary document, produced in December 2009 for the Cuckmere and Sussex Havens Catchment Flood Management Plan (CFMP), identifies long-term policies and actions that the Environment Agency needs to take over the next 50 to 100 years to deliver a better, more environmentally sustainable approach for managing flood risk. More information on the plan is available here.
Environment Agency Catchment Flood Management Plan Summary
