A SHORELINE management plan to protect coastal communities against rising tides for the next 100 years has been adopted by South Lakeland District Council.

The plan is in response to the predicted rise in sea levels because of global warming with local authorities around the country preparing to defend threatened coastlines.

Proposed policies for each section of South Lakeland are set out in the plan and in most cases the council feels that no intervention is needed in the short term and agrees that a “hold the line” approach be adopted. (more…)

Residents of a row of doomed clifftop homes in north Norfolk are still waiting to get firm compensation offers for their erosion-threatened properties.

A package of help through a government-backed scheme has been deferred over concerns the likely compensation figures of 40-50pc of the theoretical value will not offer enough to the affected people.

But while the local council says it is doing what it can within strict constraints, campaigners are calling for the deal to be the best possible – because it sets a precedent for other coastal communities in Norfolk and across the nation. (more…)

COASTAL campaigners were left hopeful for the future after a government minister saw first hand how erosion is eating into the region’s shores.

Richard Benyon, of Defra, paid a visit to Scratby, Winterton and Hopton among other spots while on his fact-finding mission to the Norfolk coast on Friday.

And while there, he heard from pressure groups about the ongoing fight to protect coastal communities in an era of government austerity. (more…)

Coastal erosion may force some communities in Wales further inland, a new report has said.

The risks are being investigated in new shoreline management plans for Wales.

Experts were at Swansea’s Grand Theatre on Wednesday to explain to the public the draft plan for South Wales, which covers the coastline from Barry to St Ann’s Head, Pembrokeshire. (more…)

Campaigners pushing for compensation to be given to owners of clifftop homes at Happisburgh have said that the amount being offered under new proposals is still nowhere near enough – despite the plans being given a green light at a council meeting.

The plans to buy 10 properties most in danger on Beach Road at Happisburgh for demolition and offer the homeowners between 40pc and 50pc of the theoretical value of their homes if they were inland and not at any risk from coastal erosion, were approved by North Norfolk District Council’s cabinet on Monday.

But the decision has angered campaigners, who say nothing less than 100pc should be offered. (more…)

Coastal farmers, fighting against regulations that prevent them from maintaining sea defences, have been given a boost after a visit by DEFRA officials.

Junior DEFRA minister Richard Benyon visited the Suffolk coast on a fact-finding mission and met landowners working together to raise money and maintain rural coastal defences.

The landowners were members of the Blyth Estuary Group, which was set up to find a cost-effective way of funding repair work.

But they have been hampered by red tape and the cost of numerous permissions required before work could start. (more…)

Environment minister Richard Benyon took a fact finding tour of Norfolk and Suffolk’s erosion-scoured coastline to hear about the problems it causes for resident and communities.

Ministers come and go at erosion hot spots with the same certainty as the tides which eat away at the crumbling cliffs.

The latest Whitehall “suit” to visit the shoreline came to find out more about how communities are coping with current coastal management strategies which see many established defences being abandoned, leaving villages in fear and blighted by plunging property prices. (more…)

COASTAL campaigners hope a “defences not damages” message will be taken on board by a new government minister visiting a trio of erosion hot spots today.

Influential local pressure groups hope Defra’s Richard Benyon will look closely and carefully at the problems of protecting seaside communities where lives and businesses depend on big beaches.

Brian Hardisty, chairman of Hopton’s coastal erosion group, said abandoning the holiday village to the sea would leave a gaping £7.5m hole in the local economy – more than enough to fund improved defences.

The junior minister will visit Scratby, Winterton and Hopton today to see for himself the consequences of erosion. (more…)

A farmer on one of the most remote islands in Essex has devised a way of carrying out emergency repairs to flood defences by using a helicopter.

The idea involves flying huge sacks of rock and other material and then dropping them into areas where the current sea wall has been damaged.

Peter Philpot of Potton Island, near Southend, has demonstrated his plan to representatives from over 20 agencies.

Mr Philpot warned some flood defences on the island “were not in good shape”. (more…)

A legal challenge has been made to flood defence proposals for the Bognor Regis area. The judicial review will be heard at the High Court this month.

It has been launched by an unidentified individual against the Environment Agency’s draft plans to protect the coastline from the Pagham boundary to the River Arun against flooding.

The agency has proposed abandoning Climping two years after its final strategy is published because it says each £1 spent on the work would produce only 20p of benefits. (more…)