About SCOPAC
The Standing
Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline (SCOPAC) is an
influential network of local authorities and other key organisations that share an interest in the
sustainable management of the shoreline of central southern England.
The
group came together in 1986 following a two day conference held on the Isle
of Wight ('Problems Associated with the Coastline' April 1985), in
order to help resolve a number of issues:
T he many issues and conflicting interests affecting the coastal zone;
The roles
and responsibilities of the multitude of local and government authorities,
agencies and other bodies with an interest in shoreline management;
The degree
of isolation in which these authorities were obliged to take decisions at
that time, which so frequently have knock-on effects on the interests of
others.
Our primary aims are:
-
To provide a
strong political forum for coastal local authorities and other
organisations with an interest in coastal risk management along the
south coast of England;
-
To raise and
sanction funding for the successful operation of SCOPAC and for the
development and implementation of its research programme.
Working Arrangements
The
inaugural meeting in October 1986 established a
two-tier system with a Full Conference comprising a forum for elected
members (mainly local authority politicians), interest groups and technical
officers. The aim of the Full Conference was to meet and exchange
information, and to approve a sub-regional research programme.
A
separate Officers' Working Group, comprising technical officers, was
established to investigate coastal issues, carry out research and provide
feedback to the Full Conference.
A distinction in SCOPAC's
membership risk was established between Full and Associate members, with
both categories electing one member representative and contributing to an
annual subscription.
Full members have a voting
entitlement and make an additional, substantially larger, input to the budget
dedicated to furthering SCOPAC's research objectives. In the years
1986-2008 SCOPAC commissioned more than £1 million worth of valuable
research to the benefit of its members [more at our
research pages].
A
Strategic Overview for Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management
In April 2008 the
Environment Agency was given a 'strategic overview for flood and coastal
erosion risk management' by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra). This important development meant that, for the first
time, one organisation had overall responsibility for the management of all
coastal risks.
As part of the strategic
overview the existing sixteen regional coastal defence groups for England
and Wales were restructured with the aim of providing a streamlined and
focussed delivery of coastal erosion risk management for the future [more
at coastal groups].
In response to these changes
SCOPAC Full Conference re-established itself as an important political voice
for the coast of southern central England, whilst the former SCOPAC
Officers' Working Group became the
Southern Coastal Group.
Whilst the Environment
Agency and local coast protection authorities had been working together
effectively in many ways for a number of years, the strategic overview
provides the opportunity for closer collaboration on coastal risk
management, particularly in the context of climate change.
The figure below illustrates
ways in which SCOPAC, together with the regional coastal groups, are working
with the Agency to fulfil national aspirations:
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(click image to enlarge it in a new window)
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Vice-chairperson:
to be elected at the December 2011 meeting
