Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) provide an assessment of coastal evolution and set out a policy framework for how the shoreline will be managed in the future. SMPs define which sections of the coast are to be protected in the short (0 to 20 years), medium (20 to 50 years) and long-term (50 to 100 years).

SMPs are developed through consultation with local communities and are based on the best available science on climate change and understanding of coastal processes. SMPs highlight where investment in defence works could deliver the best benefit to the taxpayer and where - in future - there may need to be changes in coastal defence policy due to rising sea levels or changes to the landscape caused by coastal processes.

The first SMP was published in 1999 which is now being revised and a second generation of SMPs will be published by the Environment Agency by next year.  The UK coastline is split into different regions which have their own SMP. The Jurassic Coast is covered by two different SMPs. One covers the region between Durlston Head and Portland Bill (including North Swanage) also known as The Two Bays SMP, and the other between Durlston Head and Rame Head also known as the South Devon And Dorset Coastal Advisory Group SMP (SDADCAG).

The region covered by each SMP is broken down into a number of smaller areas. Each of these areas are assessed and assigned a short, medium and long-term policy. There are four possible policies: 

• Advance The Line: The construction of new coastal defences in front of the existing defences. This is limited to areas where significant land reclamation is being considered.
• Hold The Line: Sea defences will (hopefully) be maintained or improved. However, this does not guarantee the provision of future funding and therefore may not be applicable.
• Managed Realignment: This can mean moving the line of defences forward or backwards in order to control coastal change. For example, it could mean building new coastal defences landward of existing defences, which will no longer be maintained.
• No Active Intervention: No investment in coastal defences, existing or new, and allows natural processes to shape the coast without control or management.

More information about the SMPs can be found on the Environment Agency and Defra website.