Q6 — Justified decision (12 marks)

Question: Using the Pre-Release Resource Booklet and your wider geographical knowledge, justify which one of the three options should be chosen. You must explain why you have rejected the other two.

Mark scheme (12 marks, levelled — extended writing):

• Level 1 (1–4): Decision stated; limited justification; little booklet evidence; superficial rejection of alternatives; weak terminology.
• Level 2 (5–8): Clear decision with structured PEEL paragraphs; multiple booklet figures cited; some synoptic linkage; alternatives discussed but not fully weighed; reasonable use of geographical terminology.
• Level 3 (9–12): Fully justified decision; integrates physical and human geography synoptically; cites ≥3 booklet figures with specific data; explicitly rejects both alternatives with evidence; applies frameworks (sustainability triple bottom line, CBA, stakeholder analysis); deploys precise terminology; reaches a clear, defended conclusion that addresses timescale and spatial scale.
• Grade-9 indicators: named case-study comparators (Medmerry managed retreat 2013, Hinkley Point C, Practical Action's intermediate technology), Brundtland (1987) definition embedded, NPPF 2023 / EIA Directive referenced where relevant, conclusion that acknowledges trade-offs rather than dismissing them.
• SPaG: marks awarded for accurate spelling of geographical terminology, correct use of specialist vocabulary, and well-structured extended prose.