Newgale is one coastal location in Wales where critical infrastructure is affected by coastal erosion. The A487 coastal road has always been affected by coastal storms and a changing coast. Some places are low lying and have a history of flooding. The pebble and shingle bank gives some protection to the coastal road and the village from extreme weather events. Heavy rainfall and storms can flood the areas around Brandy Brook river inland. Storms and waves push the pebbles onto the road and cause it to flood, making it difficult and dangerous to use. The pebble bank would gradually move inland over time were it not for maintenance being carried out keep the road clear.
Climate change will lead to rising sea levels, more stormy weather and more frequent periods of heavy rainfall. Over 100 years, sea levels are predicted to rise by up to 1.35m. The beach in front of the pebble bank will become steeper and narrower, making the pebble bank more unstable. More storms and higher tides will push the pebbles onto the A487 more and more often.
We can take action to try to stop, slow down, or adapt to these changes, but trying to keep the shingle ridge in its current location will become more difficult in the future as it will happen more often. The actions needed to keep the coastal road usable by trying to stop the pebbles moving would become larger, more disruptive and more costly over time. Trying to protect properties from flooding could mean building flood protection around individual properties, changing their outlook and usability and the character of Newgale.
The talk will outline the development of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Scheme and its innovative approach to dealing with the changes which will be necessary to due to the impacts of climate change and coastal erosion both on the local infrastructure and the community. The presentation will outline the steps taken to develop a suitable solution harnessing a wide range of stakeholder and community views in the context of the Well-being of Future Generations act and the how long term and short-term issues, impacts and benefits affect planning, funding, engagement and design.
The Newgale scheme was recently successful in passing the Welsh Government’s Roads Review and the comments received from this review are in the process of being fed into a revised scheme.
