Dawlish Warren Beach Management Scheme
Dawlish Warren, Devon, UK · Completed October 2017 (Construction started January 2017) · £12 million
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe scheme was identified as crucial to maintain Dawlish Warren's function as a barrier to storm waves. - Utilized innovative GeoTube defence buried in the dunes to reduce wave impact. - The project involved significant beach recharge through near-shore dredging operations. - Ongoing monitoring and potential future works are anticipated due to the dynamic nature of the coastal environment and climate change impacts. - Post-scheme review highlighted ongoing disagreements between flood and erosion risk management, environmental, amenity, and commercial interests.
Key engineering challenges
Protecting the narrow sand spit (neck) of Dawlish Warren from breaching due to sea level rise and storms. - Reducing flood risk to the railway line and estuary communities (Starcross, Lympstone, Exmouth). - Implementing a combination of hard and soft engineering solutions (GeoTube, groynes, beach recharge) in a dynamic coastal environment. - Managing the long-term changes to the beach and dunes, including expected lowering of beach levels and dune rollback.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Environment Agency; Teignbridge District Council
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- new build | upgrade
- Scale
- Reduces flood risk to nearly 2,900 properties; economic benefit estimated at £158 million; pumped over 250,000 cubic metres of sand onto the beach; 460 metre long GeoTube defence (compacted sand bags up to 2.85 metres high).
- Disciplines
- civil; coastal engineering; environmental; geotechnical
- Standards & frameworks
- Exe Estuary Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy 2013; relevant UK coastal defence standards.
Sources: "Dawlish Warren beach management scheme", GOV.UK, 2017, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dawlish-warren-beach-management-scheme/dawlish-warren-beach-management-scheme - "Dawlish Warren Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM)", Exe Estuary, 2023, https://www.exe-estuary.org/dawlish-warren-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-fcerm/ - "Dawlish Warren, South Devon", Southwest Coastal Monitoring, 2024, https://southwest.coastalmonitoring.org/wp-content/uploads/Case-Study-Dawlish-Warren_2024.pdf