FAQs
- Regular flooding of the railway line and coastal roads
- Damage to Penzance Promenade and harbour
- Loss of open space in Marazion
- Increased flood risk to homes and businesses
- Significant loss of land and property in Marazion and Penzance
- Loss of the harbours in Newlyn and Mousehole
- Over 2,000 properties could be affected by flooding, with damages estimated at over £200 million
- Loss of heritage sites, the coastal path, and community assets like Jubilee Pool
- how much you support the strategy and its proposals
- what your key concerns around the preferred option are
- your awareness of the risks facing Mounts Bay
Why do we need a strategy for the bay?
Many of the defences along Mounts Bay are ageing and in poor condition. Some are patched up after storms, but this “do minimum” approach isn’t cost-effective. Rising sea levels and more extreme weather will also put existing defences under increasing pressure. This will put homes, businesses, roads, and railways at risk.
By 2050, without action, we could see:
By 2100, impacts could be more severe:
The Mounts Bay Strategy aims to help protect the area from flooding and coastal erosion now and into the future. It looks ahead over the next 100 years. The strategy aims to guide how we manage the coast in a way that’s sustainable, coordinated, and works for both people and nature. The strategy will help us plan ahead, rather than reacting to damage from weather events. It allows Cornwall Council, the Environment Agency, and other partners to work together, making informed decisions about where and how to invest in defences and improvements.
How has the preferred option been selected?
The strategy proposes four strategic management approaches. These options combine activities in individual areas of the bay in a complementary way. This means that actions taken in one area won't negatively affect another area.
Each of these approaches is evaluated against four themes: economy, nature, health & security and flood & coastal erosion risk management. Based on this evaluation, the strategy recommends option four as the preferred option. We are using this consultation to understand public support for this proposed option.
What does the strategy mean for my area?
The actions recommended in the strategy are different for each area of the bay. Several factors affect what is proposed, including existing infrastructure, shoreline management plan policy, place making ambitions and environmental or heritage designations. The benefit of doing a strategy for the whole of the bay, is that it identifies where actions in one area, affect other areas of the bay. For example, using sandscaping at Longrock, will also have knock on benefits for Marazion.
You can find a summary of the approach for each area of the bay on page seven of the summary document. If you'd like more detail for your area specifically, this is explained on pages eight to 13.
Can I help influence the proposals?
Yes, this strategy is out for consultation because we're interested to hear your feedback on:
Has funding been secured to progress options?
The Mounts Bay Strategy identifies an overall approach to manage flood and coastal erosion risk in Mounts Bay, with indicative costs. The preferred approach includes individual projects for each area of the bay. As each project is developed in detail, firm cost estimates can be calculated. The strategy identifies stakeholders who have a shared interest in each project. The strategy will be used to source match funding for these projects.
What is the next stage in development?
After the consultation feedback has been implemented, the next stage is formal adoption of the strategy. Once this is complete, the detailed design of the most urgent projects can begin.