A public consultation event about the ongoing response to coastal erosion at Montrose was held at the town’s sports centre this week.
The event attracted around 100 people from the local community who were able to view information about the ongoing Montrose Coastal Erosion Project and discuss matters with the project consultant.
The dunes along the Montrose Golf Links are a natural coastal flood barrier to the town. In recent years, however, the dunes have eroded significantly, and the rate of future erosion is now predicted to be higher than previously anticipated.
With a predicted rise in sea levels and increasingly intensive storms, future erosion could open up flood corridors through gaps in the dunes and this could result in flooding to low-lying areas on and around the golf course.
Angus Council and its local and national partners has been working with technical experts to monitor erosion rates and develop long and short-term erosion management strategies.
Dynamic Coast(External link) and the University of Glasgow have measured changes in the dunes, and used modelling to predict future shoreline changes. They will continue to monitor and update their predictions for the rate of future erosion.
As part of managing erosion in the short-term, work to prevent further erosion in the most vulnerable locations of the dunes has resulted in engineered sandbags being put in place at the dunes’ low points and rock armour re-profiling being carried out at the 2nd Tee of Montrose Golf Links.
Short-term management will also include the construction of two rock groynes - rock armour structures that reduce the movement of sand on the beach, encouraging beach nourishment.
The design and construction of the groynes were the focal point of Wednesday’s consultation and those attending were encouraged to follow-up with any further questions they might have after the event.
A range of topics and questions were raised at the time including - groynes’ design and location; funding; beach accessibility; the impact of operations and construction; and the wider replenishment project.
Many of those who attended expressed a desire for work to progress as quickly as possible and an interest in the scheme when it extends into longer term measures.
The rock groynes require a Marine Licence, and consultation forms an important part of the approval process.
The contents provided at the Montrose Beach Groynes Public Consultation is available via the project page on Engage Angus.
You can still provide feedback on the proposed groynes work before submission of the marine licence application. To provide feedback please email katie.britton@aecom.com, or by post to AECOM, Tanfield, Edinburgh, EH3 5DA before 19 April 2025.