The Environment Agency has published new guidance on Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs), which help to deliver the ambitions of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy. They set out a planned approach to managing flood and coastal erosion risk around the coast of England to 2105.

There are 20 SMPs covering the English coast. You can see these on the Shoreline Management Plan Explorer. You can use this to view:

• SMP management approaches and actions for each section of coast
• where changes to management approaches have been made and why
• areas protected for their environmental, historic or landscape importance which must be considered when deciding the approach to managing flood and erosion risk
• guidance on how shoreline management plans are developed and updated

SMPs guide coastal management investment decisions on the coast such as:

• building and maintaining sea defences
• implementing adaptation plans
• creating coastal habitats

They are adopted by local authorities and used as part of the town and country planning system to designate Coastal Change Management Areas (CCMAs). They also inform local plans and development decisions.