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The Great Gale 1824 Exhibition
See on the ITV Evening News this Friday!
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The Great Gale will feature on ITV West Country and Meridian evening news 6pm this Friday 22nd November - the 200th anniversary of The Great Gale to the day!
DCF in collaboration with the Environment Agency and BCP Council bring together a free exhibition that explores the impacts the Great Gale of 1824. It features stories and accounts, delving into the reasons behind the storm and how we can predict and prepare for possible similar future events.
The exhibition has been touring the Dorset coast and will end in Portland on 22-24th November, with B-Side hosting further events from 21-24 November The Great Gale - B-Side Arts Festival
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Dorset Coast Strategy interactive map!
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DCF (with the help of Dorset Council GIS team) have created a new interactive map to support and align with the Dorset Coast Strategy objectives #EnjoyTheCoast #RespectTheCoast #CoastalInnovation #CoastalConnection and #Coastal Recovery. It is a resource for DCF members and the wider public to find information about our coast, currently including coastal designations, blue flag beaches, NCI lookout stations and RNLI lifeguarded beaches. We would like to hear your views on new layers that would be useful to you.
You can find it on the Dorset Coast Strategy page on our website or on Dorset Explorer by changing version in the title bar to Dorset Coast Strategy.
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DCF Conference 2024
That’s a wrap for another year!
We would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who joined us - it was a great success with 120 of our members in attendance. The theme this year was Coastal Change and the line up included 12 inspirational presentations, a facilitated workshop, and 9 information stands, many of which offered examples of interactive ways to engage with communities. A big thank you to all our speakers for their engaging presentations, the information stands, our hosts at Weymouth Pavilion, and also our sponsors: Moffatt & Nichol, WSP and ARC Marine.
Feedback from the conference has been very positive – see highlights below. For more details of the conference, including presentation slides, please see the DCF Conference 2024 webpage. If you have ideas for next year’s, please get in touch.
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The initial Future Studland engagement phase completed on 30th September and the team have been collating and analysing the results. Thank you to everyone who took part. The feedback report will offer the National Trust valuable insights from the community and visitors to help shape the Future Studland plan.
A shorter youth survey was presented to an Environmental Leaders group at a school in Wareham. In addition to completing the survey the group discussed their memories of growing up close to Studland, making use of the facilities and working there.
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SBMP corporate partners meeting at the Pig on the beach Hotel, Studland
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In early November an inaugural meeting introducing new corporate partners to the project was hosted at THE PIG on the beach Hotel, Studland who have generously led the way as a valued partner raising donations through the donate a £1 on the menu scheme. If you are interested in learning how you can connect with the partnership or are interested in hosting a talk by the SBMP to learn more about this ground breaking project, please contact Sara
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Nature recovery at Studland has been showcased at an international level at the annual Blue Earth Summit which took place in October in London with the premiere of a film commissioned by The Crown Estate. The Blue Earth Summit highlights innovative solutions that regenerate the natural world, watch the film by clicking on above image.
The work of the partnership also features as a case study Case study: Sea, Land and City | The Crown Estate and we are delighted to have made the pages of issue 722 of the Waitrose Weekend Magazine!
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Chesil Cove Curved Seawall
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Engagement event at Portland Community Venue in September displaying proposed options with a presentation from consultants Jacobs
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A further engagement event for the proposed works at Chesil Cove took place on the 21st October and offered an update on the proposals and for the project team to take questions from the community. The survey is now closed to collate and provide responses to the project team. For more details see project website.
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Coastal Transition Accelerator
Programme (CTAP)
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The project team have completed the Outline Business Case (OBC) document for CTAP, and it is set to be considered at the December Cabinet meeting. Details of the OBC will be published online and made available to the public a week beforehand. Once we find out whether the OBC has been approved, DCF and the project team will continue engagement with communities and stakeholders in Charmouth and North Swanage.
North Swanage CTAP
Following community feedback that reopening access at Sheps Hollow Steps was a priority, a contractor has now remodelled and installed the steps. The project team are aware that there are some concerns about the design of the metal steps leading onto the beach and the team are reviewing how they can be adapted.
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Swanage Town Coastal Protection Scheme
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Swanage Town Crier Andrew, Andy Knill and Sara at the opening of the art trail
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The ‘Flooding Swanage with Art’ art trail is back! Brightening up the temporary concrete wave barriers for the visually impaired and the whole community during the winter season. Join project artist Andy Knill for his monthly free Talking Art Walks see our events for dates and times here
DCF held an official opening for the art trail and took the opportunity to celebrate the project’s Flood & Coast Highly Commended Community Action award. We thank Swanage Town Crier Andrew for welcoming in the 2024-5 season so brilliantly!
Andy joined Project Officer Sara for another successful Outdoor Classroom Day on 7th November with 107 children and young people in Swanage walking along the seafront and learning how plans to make the town more resilient to coastal flooding are designed and implemented.
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Hengistbury Head Long Groyne completed October 2024 (photo credit BCP Council)
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Hengistbury Head Long Groyne - upgrade complete
The upgrade of Hengistbury Head Long Groyne is now complete, protecting up to 6,000 homes within the Poole and Christchurch Bays area. The works, which began in April 2024, enable the groyne to continue to reduce the risk of coastal erosion over the next 100 years. The beach around Hengistbury Head Long Groyne is now fully open to the public again.
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Hamworthy Park seawall - repairs completed November 2024 (photo credit BCP Council)
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Hamworthy Park Seawall – repairs complete
Essential repairs to Hamworthy Park sea wall were delivered from September-November 2024 with Government funding and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) support. The works, led by BCP Council have strengthened a 200 metre-long section of the Eastern seawall to ensure it continues to protect the eastern promenade at Hamworthy Park from coastal erosion for the next 20 years.
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News update from the Moors at Arne Coastal Change Project
Construction of the embankments is now paused until April 2025. Winter works will include continued ecological surveys and vegetation management. There is now a new small information area near the site entrance. Anyone can now pop in and view information about the scheme during the construction phase.
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The installation of hundreds of naturally dyed silk pennants tells a story, representing an individual’s dream intricately tied to a specific part of our beloved coastline (image Beach of Dreams website)
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Beach of Dreams: UK-wide Coastal Arts Festival 2025
Led by Kinetika the festival will include art commissions, creative walks and events that aim to provide a platform for celebrating, reflecting and imagining new possible climate futures for our coastline. The great news for Dorset is that the festival will culminate in Weymouth from 19th to 21st Sept 2025, with a finale event led by Activate. To get involved, register to attend upcoming networking events on 28th and 29th November to learn how to organise your own outdoor activity as part of the festival Events • Beach of Dreams
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Bournemouth and Poole Bluetits swimming at Canford Cliffs (credit Emma Jackson, LFD)
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Recreational Beach Survey Report
This summer, Litter Free Dorset and Dorset Coast Forum asked local people and visitors how they spend their time at Dorset's beaches. A total of 698 people participated in the survey, including 341 water users who marked their water entry points on our map. Thank you to everyone who took part in the Recreational Beach Survey. Download the report here
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Chesil and the Fleet Angling Project
Litter Free Dorset are working on an innovative project aimed at reducing angling litter and disturbance at Chesil Beach and the Fleet. Local anglers have taken part in their survey and they will be using the data to develop creative solutions that will help preserve Chesil and the Fleet as a beautiful and serene spot to visit and fish.
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Staying safe by the sea
Dorset Council reminded us that the huge rockfall between West Bay and Freshwater in mid-October acts as a reminder that rockfalls and landslips can happen at any time. The beach was blocked off by the fall and the coast path is closed. When a new rockfall occurs, the cliff face either side of the collapse is left more vulnerable to further falls. Dorset Council's advice about rockfalls:
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Stay away from the edge of the cliff top – admire the view from a safe distance.
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Stay away from the base of cliffs, rock falls & landslides can happen at any time.
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Pay attention to warning signs – they are therefor your safety.
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Check tide times before you set off to avoid being cut off by incoming tides.
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Keep dogs on leads near the cliff edge.
This is in addition to landslips at Durley Chine also in mid-October, where 14 beach huts were affected and passers-by had a narrow escape. This featured in the national and local news. BCP Council continue to monitor cliff slips and have cordoned off the area- Bournemouth: Beachside landslip being surveyed by experts - BBC News
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Catchment Partnership Co-ordinator Vacancy
Wessex Water is recruiting a new lead for the Dorset Catchment Partnership to work with a wide range of stakeholders including local councils, regulators, charities and local groups. The role will deliver long-term benefits for people and nature across the Poole Harbour and Dorset Stour catchments. Closing date: 1 December 2024
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Take part in a consultation on drought management in England
The Environment Agency has launched a public consultation on ‘Drought: how it is managed in England’, the updated version of the ‘National Drought Response Framework’ released in 2017. They would like to hear your feedback and suggestions on this document and your comments on any local drought-related issues and how the Environment Agency and others respond to drought at a local level.
Closing date 10 January 2025
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MMO Marine Plan Monitoring Survey
The Marine Planning team want to hear about your experience of using the Marine Plans. The monitoring surveys are their primary source of data collection, therefore your effort in completing the monitoring survey is important to them. You can complete the monitoring surveys as an individual or on behalf of your team or organisation. Closing date: 27th January 2025
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Environment Agency – New Water Hub
The new Water Hub and Water Data Explorer platforms provide access to EA water data in one place: catchment data, storm overflow maps, fish & ecology records and water quality data.
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Azores to create largest Marine Protected Area in North Atlantic
The Azores has passed bold new legislation to create the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) network in the North Atlantic ocean. The ocean around the Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands is home to abundant marine life, including whales, sharks and deep-sea corals.
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Urgent UK nature rescue plan needed around COP16 talks to plug massive 30x30 target gap
The annual update from Wildlife and Countryside Link into progress in England on the target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (the “30x30 target”) shows continuation of a worrying trend. The amount of land in England that can be said to be effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93% while the amount of sea protected continues to lag at 9.92%.
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Coast-R: New resilient coastal communities and seas network announced
A new £2m national network has been launched to generate knowledge, action and resilience for UK coastal communities and seas. The COAST-R Network is part funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and DEFRA under their Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas programme and is part of a £14.8m investment in place-based research projects aiming to enhance resilience, wellbeing and sustainability across the UK.
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Getting to know the Swanage streams
26th November
Join Planet Purbeck at The Swanage School to discover more about the under-appreciated Swan Brook & other beautiful streams that flow through Swanage. Hear guest speakers from Swanage Town Council, Dorset National Landscapes, National Trust & Planet Purbeck as they launch the Swanage Streams Partnership.
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Communicate 26-28 November – New Connections for Nature
Online tickets still available! There are over 1000 environmental communication professionals joining the Communicate 20th anniversary. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear news from across the sector, add to your communications toolbox, and make new connections for nature.
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Marine plan user training 2024
The Marine Planning Team at the Marine Management Organisation are offering marine plan implementation training sessions during Nov-Dec. These sessions have been designed to provide marine planning training and guidance to support applicants, decision-makers and other stakeholders to effectively implement the marine plans across all areas and sectors in England. If you have not been able to book onto a session, the online sessions will be recorded and shared on the gov.uk website.
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