The next stage in the fight to save Montrose from the North Sea has been launched.
Plans have been submitted for two rock armour barriers on the beach beside the town’s historic golf links.
It is the worst-hit area of the seafront, with experts now revealing coastal erosion claimed as much as 12 metres of dunes during the winter of 2023-24.
The figure is an alarming increase from previous data which suggested the dunes had shrunk by 7m.
A planning submission says that since 2016, around 3m a year was being lost along a “significant amount of the dunes”.
But it said an update picture had shown the dramatic acceleration along some stretches of the beach.
“Montrose Bay experiences some of the fastest rates of erosion recorded, with up to 12m of dunes lost during winter 2023-2024.”
Next step in long-term Montrose coastal erosion strategy
The latest move is part of the long-term approach to tackling the threat of flood corridors breaking through the dunes.
Infrastructure experts AECOM are developing the coastal erosion battle plan on behalf of Angus Council.
The new planning proposal details the make-up of the two groynes designed to reduce the movement of sand on the beach.
Each would be around 100 metres long and built perpendicular to the shoreline.
The northern groyne would be placed adjacent to the low point in the dunes.
The second barrier would be around 200m to the south.
AECOM says: “This spacing has been assessed as optimal to provide the best amount of sediment capture.
“The groynes initially tie into the existing beach levels at the shore end, increasing to one metre above beach levels at their outer extent.”
Each of the groynes would extend to around ten metres wide.
AECOM expect construction to take around three months.
The groynes would be built one at a time.
“Material claimed through excavations for the foundation of the groynes will be reused and deposited within low points of the dune system,” adds the planning report.
“This infilled area will then be planted with marram grass to allow it to stabilise.”
Access arrangements for construction equipment are being finalised.
But those could see the temporary removal of sandbags which were put in place at a low point in the dunes.
The planning application will be considered by the council in due course.
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