]> 2026-04-04T19:05:51+00:00 Case study:South Milton Sands 500 en Approved National Trust South Hams District Council Plymouth Council Plymouth Coastal Observatory National Trust Yes No Yes 50.2563968,-3.8567313 Richard National Trust Snow ,, Sand dune restoration,,,, Sand dune restoration 23773 South Hams District Council, Plymouth Council, Plymouth Coastal Observatory 60 South Milton Sands.png 2003 2452640.5 Complete Between 2003 and 2009, the National Trust restored South Milton Sands in Devon (Photo 1 and Map 1), a heavily used 4ha sand dune site with a small beach, a café and extensive car parking. The wooden piling defences constructed in 1990 were at the end of their lifespan and thought unsustainable given the erosion at the site. The designed scheme removed the failing defences and reprofiled the dunes, which allowed the dunes to erode and build according to natural processes. Once groundwork was completed, local people helped plant the marram grass on the dunes. Following consultation, the National Trust agreed to maintain a small area of defence to an existing slipway for a 10-year period. The project was viewed as a success. A storm on 14 February 2014 eroded about 15m of the sand dunes and lowered beach levels by some 2m. The southern end of the access track and the slipway were undermined. Boardwalks to access the beach were broken. The dune ridge was overtopped but did not breach. However the loss of two-thirds of the dune ridge (including the area reinstated and revegetated in 2009) made the frontage highly vulnerable to breach in a future storm. The National Trust has reinstated the access road and slipway, but the dunes cannot be sustained in their current location. The 20-year erosion line in the Shoreline Management Plan passes through the car park and close to the café. Sea level rise and increased storminess will make the existing defence line unsustainable. National Trust wants a way forward that is sustainable and works with natural processes in accordance with its Shifting Shores policy. The current car park and access road are unsustainable in the long term and alternatives will be investigated. These need to be the subject of public engagement and the National Trust intends to consider the options. The dunes might be sustainable in a more landward location. The future of the wetland and associated outfall also needs to be considered. If the outfall is removed, water levels will likely increase and water will find its own route to the beach, either by percolation or a (seasonal) surface channel through (rolled back) dunes. This approach could create a mosaic of dune and wetland habitat. South Milton Sands south milton sands http://www.therrc.co.uk/sites/default/files/projects/60_southmiltonsands.pdf Flood risk management Habitat and biodiversity Monitoring Social benefits 2018-11-08T15:53:47Z 2458431.1623495 2018-11-08T15:56:56Z 2458431.164537 South Milton Sands 500 [2,"smw_unitnotallowed","\u00a3"] South Milton Sands# ERR7c4821480ce616a602940635f30465e2