A big section of the Norfolk Broads as well as a cluster of villages and thousands of acres of farmland face being surrendered to the sea under secret plans to save the rest of the Norfolk coast from the impact of climate change. A scheme drawn up by experts at Natural England, the body born out of the Countryside Agency and English Nature in 2006, envisages that 25 square miles of fen and fields would be wiped off the map for ever in an attempt to realign the coastline.
Read the full story by Countryside Editor Valerie Elliott on the Times website
Large swathes of Norfolk, including six villages, could be flooded under a controversial plan to deal with the effects of climate change. The proposal would see Britain effectively admit defeat in the battle to maintain coastal defences and around 16,000 acres (25 square miles) of land in the Norfolk Broads would be allowed to flood.
For the best view of the next stage of the climate change debate, you need Mike Page’s help. CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips got a ride in his Cessna plane.
Page has been documenting what’s been happening to his home turf. There’s less and less of it.The soft sand cliffs of certain parts of the coast have always been vulnerable to erosion and the government put in a system of sea defenses about 50 years ago to try to protect it.
For decades, with constant maintenance, it worked. But with rising sea levels and rising costs, about 10 years ago, they gave up. Page’s footage, shot over the past several years, shows what happened.
Coastal home owners have won a landmark ruling against a Government agency which was attempting to force them to abandon their homes to the sea.
Charlie England, an artist who lives on an eroding cliff at Easton Bavents, north of Southwold, in Suffolk, has won an appeal against Natural England which refused to allow him to maintain sea defences protecting his property.
An inspector decided that Natural England’s plans to force erosion on the occupiers of properties on the cliff would have constituted an unnecessary and disproportionate interference with their human rights.
Read the full story by Charles Clover, Environment Editor on the Telegraph website
A legal victory by the tenant of a cliff-top chalet in East Anglia is good news for everybody living on the coast of England, it was claimed last night.
Charles England, the tenant of a chalet at Easton Bavents, near Southwold, has won an appeal against a refusal by conservation body Natural England to allow him to maintain the shingle sea defences protecting his property. (more…)
