SCOPAC Research – completed projects
The Southern Coastal Group (SCG) assists in the successful delivery of SCOPAC’s Research programme. Between 1986-2024 SCG and SCOPAC worked together to commission approximately £1.8 million worth of valuable research to the benefit of its members.
Since the merger of SCG and SCOPAC in 2020, our boundary extent is Portland Bill in Dorset to Selsey Bill in Lyme Regis. Where appropriate, research may reflect the original SCOPAC boundary, which extended from Lyme Regis to Shoreham on Sea.
Completed 2001 – present day
CCO extreme water level assessment and comparison with the Environment Agency Coastal Flood Boundary Dataset (2018)
Minor project 2025-2026 \ Dr Thomas Dhoop and Elizabeth Warwick-Champion, Channel Coast Observatory. £3,000 SCOPAC contribution.
Report published July 2025.
Assessing the performance of Basralocus installed in the Bournemouth groyne field
Minor project 2025-2026 \ Dr John Williams of RSK, commissioned by BCP Council / South West Flood and Coastal. £5,000 SCOPAC contribution.
RSK report published November 2025.
Heritage at risk from flooding and coastal erosion
Major project 2022-2024 \ Alex Hillawi and Charlie White, Coastal Partners.
Funded by £90,000 Southern and Wessex RFCC local levy, with £10,000 SCOPAC contribution.
Project report & infographic published May 2025.
SCOPAC Storm Analysis Study update 2024: Nearshore waves
Dr Matthew Wadey, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council; Dr Thomas Dhoop and Elizabeth Warwick-Champion, Channel Coast Observatory. £18,000
Project report published December 2024.
Tracer Study, West Bay
Minor funds contribution 2021-2022 from SCOPAC of £4,000; £86,460 local levy; £7,500 Dorset Council and £7,000 Environment Agency. Sacha Neill and Emma Harris, Coastal Partners on behalf of Adam Steele, Dorset Council and Alan Frampton, BCP Council.
Project report published March 2024.
Exploring some of the challenges for continued use of steel sheet-piles for FCERM in coastal settings
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2020-2021 \ Rob Thomas, Dorset Council and Alan Frampton, BCP Council: £4,000.
Project report published November 2022.
Bibliographic Database - scanning old documents
Major project 2021-2023 \ Emma Harris and Charlie White, Coastal Partners: £10,000.
Healthy Estuaries project 2020
Minor funds contribution 2019-2020 \ Jo Brooksbank, Natural England: £2,000.
Results published February 2021.
Tracer Study, Langstone Harbour entrance
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2018-2020 \ Alex Hillawi, Coastal Partners: £4,000.
Digitising the Poole Harbour tide gauge
SCOPAC minor funds contribution \ Dr Ivan Haigh, University of Southampton: £4,000 + Environment Agency Wessex contribution £5,000.
Report published September 2021.
Tracer Study, Preston Beach
Dave Picksley, Environment Agency and Sacha Neill, Coastal Partners: £5,000 (2018-2020).
SCOPAC Storm Analysis Study
“Coastal storms: detailed analysis of observed sea level and wave events in the SCOPAC region (southern England)”
Technical report published January 2021.
Maintenance of coastal structures – Phase 1: Timber groynes
A study incorporated into the CIRIA Manual (C793) ‘Groynes in Coastal Engineering: Guide to design, monitoring and maintenance of narrow footprint groynes’, published December 2020.
Assessing the performance of timber groynes
Bournemouth Groyne Field report published November 2018.
At Pevensey Bay “Groyne GP10: Assessment of lesser known species of tropical timber” published July 2021.
Vegetated Shingle Study, Hurst Spit
New Forest District Council: £5,000 (2017-2018).
“Assessing the dynamics of vegetated shingle Hurst Spit case study 2013-2017” report published May 2018.
SCOPAC Coastal Landfills Study
Coastal Partners (formerly Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership): £70,000 (2016-2018).
Funded by Southern RFCC and Wessex RFCC local levy (£67,000) + a contribution from LGA SiG (£3,000).
Results presented to the national Flood and Coast Conference 2018. “Coastal Flooding, Erosion and Funding Assessment” report & infographic published 2019.
Beach response in front of structures in open coast
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2015-2017 \ Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership: £4,000.
Toe Scour Research Project; report published October 2018.
Poole Bay Nearshore Replenishment Trial 2015-2016
Borough of Poole Council: £15,000 contribution (2014-2017).
Project report published March 2018.
SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study 2012 Update
Channel Coast Observatory: FDGiA £150,000 with additional contributions from SCOPAC (2014-2017)
Published online in 2017. The most utilised of SCOPAC’s research, the SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study provides a clear understanding of coastal processes across the region, and helps to underpin the development of strategy studies, schemes and future shoreline management policy.
Offshore to onshore transport across distinct landforms at Church Norton Spit
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2015-2016 \ University of Sussex (lead): £4,000.
The project was carried out as part of an undergraduate thesis by Lucy White at the University of Sussex – published 2016.
Offshore sediment pathways in Poole and Christchurch Bays
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2013-2016 \ University of Southampton: £4,000.
Coastal sediment budget project; report published October 2016.
Seabed Mapping project, Selsey to Eastoke 2013-2015
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2013-2015 \ Channel Coast Observatory: up to £4,000.
Funding awarded to map a 40km² block of the 2013 East Solent swath bathymetry. Report published January 2015.
SCOPAC Sediment Stores & Sinks Study
Channel Coast Observatory: £25,000 (2011-2014).
“Evolution of Coastal Sediment Stores and Sinks across the SCOPAC region” published June 2014.
Non-standard rock groynes in Poole and Christchurch Bays
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2011-2013 \ Bournemouth Borough Council: £4,000 (£2,000 2011/12 and £2,000 2012/13).
Report published March 2013.
Tracer Study, East Solent, Phase II
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2011-2013 \ Coastal Partners: £4,000.
SCOPAC Sediment Transport Bibliographic Database 2012
SCOPAC 6 (2012). Channel Coast Observatory, David Carter and the University of Portsmouth.
The 2012 Bibliographic Database comprises some 5,700 references to relevant shoreline management reports and publications for the 400 kilometre frontage of the SCOPAC region. Searchable by author, topic and/or area.
ACCESS: Adapting to Climate Change along England’s Southern Shorelines
Channel Coast Observatory: £26,000, Halcrow: £20,500, Coastal and Geotechnical Services: £14,000 (2011).
Project report published 2011.
Tracer Study, East Solent, Phase I
SCOPAC Minor funds contribution 2010-2011 \ Coastal Partners: £1,500.
Extreme Wave Conditions within the SCOPAC region
Professor A Bradbury: £10,000 (2008/09) and £8,000 (2009/10).
A review of regional wave climate and implications for shoreline management – extremes, swell, bimodal conditions.
RESPONSE European Project
Responding to the risks from climate change on the coast. RESPONSE was supported by the European Union’s LIFE-Environment Programme (DG Environment) for sustainable development. SCOPAC Contribution (2006-2009).
Project maps available to download.
SCOPAC Sediment Transport Study 2004
University of Portsmouth
Covering the coastline of central-southern England between Lyme Regis (Dorset) and Shoreham-By-Sea (West Sussex), the 2004 web-enabled report constituted a thorough revision of the original Sediment Transport Study commissioned by SCOPAC in 1990. It has since been superceded by a 2012 update.
Strategic Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes
Channel Coast Observatory: SCOPAC contribution (2002-present day).
Probably the most significant of the coastal research activities in recent years.
Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change
Halcrow Marine, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, University of Portsmouth and the Meteorological Office (2001).
“A Strategy for Long Term Planning and Management of the Shoreline in the Context of Climate Change Predictions”, published 2001.
Coastline evolution – animations
Illustrating the most likely coastal change scenario over the last 125,000 years as sea level rise and coastal erosion shapes southern England as we know it today.
Animation centering on the Isle of Wight and Solent River basin
Animation centering on the coastline from Lyme Regis to Portland