Government gives £18m to support coastal erosion

The government has awarded £18m of funding to help the "most at-risk coastal areas prepare for climate change".

Communities in Norfolk, Suffolk and East Riding that have been facing eroding shorelines have been asked to take part in the Environment Agency's Coastal Adaptation Pilots, to help them prepare for future climate damage.

The cash will go towards selective property purchases and financing solutions in areas where homes face imminent risk from erosion and that "could provide a sustainable model for managing coastal transition".

Yet the funding was not intended to be used to respond to immediate repairs to existing defences or demolition, according to the Environment Agency.

The schemes required a 10% local funding contribution from participating areas.

In response to the announcement, Carl Smith, Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Conservative leader, said: ''Our borough, particularly at Hemsby, continues to see the devastating impact that coastal erosion has on the lives of our residents."

He said the funding was "welcome recognition that coastal erosion is something that needs to be addressed urgently at a national level".

Earlier this month 14 homes in Hemsby were at threat of collapsing into the sea, which followed 36 properties being lost to the sea or demolished since 2013.

The government said the new pilots would build upon the £36m Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme created under Boris Johnson's Conservative government.

Harry Blathwayt, the cabinet member and portfolio folder for coast on North Norfolk District Council, said: "These are challenging times for coastal communities across the UK, but this investment will deliver a message of hope about the future."

Properties in the seaside village of Thorpeness, Suffolk, have also been at risk.

The Environment Agency's erosion risk maps show that at least 240 properties along the coastal frontage were at risk from erosion between now and 2105.

A spokesperson for East Suffolk Council said: "As the funds cannot be used to build sea defences the focus will be on having early conversations with those at medium and long-term risks to plan for the future and support those at high risk to move away from the risk zones."

Barbara Jefferson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet member for heritage and coastal, said the announcement was "positive news for the East Riding, which contains one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe".

"We will continue to work with the government and residents to ensure the best outcomes for our area and ensure that coastal communities in our region can adapt and thrive," she added.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said a further £12m would be available to more regions to deliver smaller scale actions, such as early warning systems and improved beach access.

Emma Hardy, the minister for flooding, said the investment would help in "building the evidence we need to support coastal communities across the country in the decades ahead".

The Environment Agency said learnings from the pilots would be shared so all communities were able to prepare for "a more resilient future".

Emergency works have been funded through separate channels, such as the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant.

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