A COUNCIL has pledged to seek more funding to help communities affected by coastal erosion amid fears it may lose the support of residents when money for an innovative aid project dries up next month.

A £1.2m scheme funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is due to end in March, and East Riding Council, which administers it, said it was determined to explore other sources of finance to assist some of the most exposed households in England.

All of the money in the East Riding Coastal Change Pathfinder project (ERCCP) has now been allocated to households in the Aldbrough, Cowden, Hornsea, Skipsea, Tunstall and Ulrome areas, and 35 of them have been helped adapt to the impact of “coastal change”.

The scheme has also funded the demolition of 43 dangerous structures and properties.

Coun Jane Evison, portfolio holder for rural issues and cultural services, said: “The council cannot turn back the forces of nature but what we have for the first time been able to do through Coastal Pathfinder is to provide real practical support and assistance to people most at risk to coastal erosion .

“As the project comes to an end in March, I want to stress that we will not be resting on our laurels but will continue to lobby hard for additional funding, recognising the strong case for supporting people living on undefended East Riding coastline that does not meet the Government criteria for sea defences, and highlighting how much can be achieved with relatively small amounts of money.”

A council review of the scheme said residents’ expectations had been raised that assistance would continue to be available – and warned that much of the co-operation from the communities affected may be lost if aid is suddenly withdrawn.

It said: “As a result of communities gaining a better understanding of coastal change issues and management policies, demand for adaptation assistance is growing.

“The delivery of the ERCCP has inevitable led to a considerable increase in expectations for ongoing support amongst coastal residents.

“If funding is not made available on an ongoing basis there will be a loss of momentum and a real risk of communities being unwilling to work with the authorities in the future.”

It also notes that Defra has yet to publish guidance about the future funding of “coastal change adaptation measures”, or set a time scale for the publication of the national coastal change policy.

The ERCCP was not intended as a compensation scheme, but to provide practical support to those most at risk.

The money has been used to help with the cost of property demolitions and site restorations, which was previously born in full by residents.

In addition, financial support has been provided to cover practical relocation costs and for establishing residents in their new homes in safer locations.

People have also received money towards removals and the purchase of essential white goods and furnishings for their new properties.

The support offered to each resident has been based on an assessment of individual circumstances and the criteria set by the council.

There is also a small grants fund to enable individuals, groups and businesses in the East Riding to develop innovative approaches to coastal erosion and coastal flood risk management.

Earlier this week, a new report showed that rates of erosion have more than doubled on some stretches of East Yorkshire’s coast.

The average rate of land loss on the East Coast is 1.5 metres to 2.5 metres a year. But 10 metres was lost south of Withernsea and Hollym, while at Aldbrough, 8.5 metres disappeared, and at Waxholme, north of Withernsea, seven metres were lost to the sea.

Story in the Yorkshire Post

The UK is set to be amongst the best prepared nations for the implications of climate change following publication of a groundbreaking study into the threats the country faces.

The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) highlights the top 100 challenges to the UK and our economy of a changing climate and provides the most compelling evidence yet of the need to increase our resilience. The research confirms the UK as a world-leader in understanding climate risk to ensure we can make robust plans to deal with these threats.

In order to provide a reliable baseline for decisions by Government, local authorities and businesses the research does not take into account any future policies or plans. However, a Government report published alongside the CCRA does highlight the many current and future policies already in place and gives details of plans which will address some of the risks identified.

The Government has also announced a National Adaptation Programme that will prepare the UK for the effects of climate change, including the risks set out in the CCRA. People are encouraged to give their views through a new website on the action needed to tackle the implications of climate change where they live and work.

Speaking at the launch of the CCRA, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said:

“This world class research provides the most comprehensive case yet on why we need to take action to adapt the UK and our economy to the impacts of climate change. It shows what life could be like if we stopped our preparations now, and the consequences such a decision would mean for our economic stability.

“The Climate Change Risk Assessment will be vital in helping us to understand what we need to do to stop these threats becoming a reality. In doing so there is also great potential for growth through UK firms developing innovative products and services tailored to meet the global climate challenges.”

Professor Sir Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser at Defra, said:

“The CCRA is ground-breaking research which puts the UK at the forefront of understanding what the projected changes to our climate will really mean for us.

“For the first time it means we can compare a wide range of risks based on their financial, social and environmental implications. This will be invaluable for Government in prioritising the areas for future policies and investment, and it will help businesses assess what they need to do to ensure they are resilient to the changing climate.”

Lord John Krebs, Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change, said:

“Without an effective plan to prepare for the risks from climate change the country may sleepwalk into disaster. This report represents an important first step in the process and demonstrates why the UK needs to take action to adapt now. The work of my Committee has found that by taking steps to manage these risks, the UK can reduce the costs of climate change in the future.

“The Government’s forthcoming adaptation programme should tackle barriers to adaptation so that local communities, businesses and households can take action to prepare.”

Among the key risks the CCRA identifies, in the unlikely event the UK took no further action, are:

• Hotter summers present significant health risks. The CCRA projects that without measures to reduce the risk, there could be between 580-5,900 additional premature deaths per year by the 2050s. The Department for Health launched a Heatwave Plan in 2004 and update it annually to provide advice and support for people vulnerable to hotter weather.

• Increasing pressure on the UK’s water resources. The CCRA projects that without action to improve water resources, there could be major supply shortages by the 2050s in parts of the north, south and east of England with the greatest challenge in the Thames River basin. Defra published a Water White Paper last year which includes a package of measures to address water supply shortages, and to ensure the water industry is more resilient to future challenges.

• The risks of flooding are projected to increase significantly across the UK. New analysis for England and Wales show that if no further plans were made to adapt to changing flood risks, by the 2080s due the effects of climate change and population growth annual damages to buildings and property could reach between £2.1billion – £12billion, compared to current costs of £1.2billion. Defra has introduced a new method of allocating funding for flood defences so that more communities will benefit from flood protection, and the Department is working with the ABI to ensure that flood insurance remains widely available after the current agreement between Government and insurers expires in 2013. As part of these discussions, Defra is considering whether there are feasible, value for money ways of targeting funding support to those at highest flood risk and less able to pay.

• The number of days in an average year when temperatures rise above 26 degrees C is projected to rise from 18 days to between 27-121 days in London by the 2080s. This could mean greater demand for energy to cool buildings and more heat related illnesses.

• Increases in drought and some pest and diseases could reduce timber yields and quality. Projected drought conditions could mean a drop in timber yields of between 10% and 25% by the 2080s in the south east, driving up timber costs. Pests and diseases, which thrive in warmer conditions, may also pose an increasing threat, such as red band needle blight – which causes loss of foliage and can lead to tree death. Defra has published a Tree and Plant Health Action Plan and committed £7million to further research into plant diseases.

The CCRA also highlights opportunities for the UK that climate change could present, including:

• Opening of Arctic shipping routes. The melting of Arctic sea ice could lead to the opening up of new container shipping routes and improved trade links with Asia and the Pacific.

• Milder winters may result in a major reduction in cold-related deaths and illnesses. Currently, cold weather results in between 26,000 and 57,000 premature deaths each year in the UK. By the 2050s, a reduction in these figures of between 3,900 and 24,000 is projected to occur due to increasing average winter temperatures. This would particularly benefit vulnerable groups, including those with existing health problems.

• Opportunities to improve sustainable food production. Sugar beet yields are projected to increase by 20-70% and wheat yields by 40-140% by the 2050s due to longer growing seasons if water and nutrients remain available. A warmer climate presents opportunities to grow new crops such as soya, sunflowers, peaches, apricots and grapes, while new markets may open up overseas for British grown produce.

The CCRA evidence will be used to develop a National Adaptation Programme (NAP) that will set out timescales for the actions Government will take to meet the challenges of climate change.

The development of the NAP starts today and Caroline Spelman has called on the public to give their views on what the priorities areas for action should be. These views will help shape the final NAP, which will be published in 2013.

Mrs Spelman continued:

“Climate change is a global phenomenon, but its impacts will be felt at a local level and affect people differently depending on where they live. That is why I want people to give us their views to help develop a National Adaption Programme that puts us in the best shape possible to meet climate change head on.”

From a press release on the DEFRA website

The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), and the complementary Government report, can be viewed here.

The National Adaptation Programme website can be found at http://engage.defra.gov.uk/nap

Bulldozers are due to move in and demolish Happisburgh’s doomed cliff-top homes this spring as the blighted seaside village prepares for a new lease of life.

Angie Fitch-Tillett, North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) cabinet member for the coast, said the council’s final purchase of nine erosion-threatened Beach Road homes had been wrapped up just before Christmas.

She added: “We are looking to get them down in the foreseeable future. In the worst case scenario it will be a couple of months.”

The news has come as a huge relief to defiant Bryony Nierop-Reading, the sole remaining permanent resident, who refused to sell her bungalow.

She has been frustrated at the delay in demolishing her former neighbours’ homes and angry at having to call the police because of intruders in the empty properties.

Mrs Nierop-Reading, 66, claimed NNDC had failed to make them secure until contacted by the News last week.

Mrs Fitch-Tillett said time was still needed to complete legally-required asbestos and bat surveys on the properties and NNDC also had to wait until a Happisburgh landowner, who has not been identified, had submitted an application for nine replacement homes on a plot in the village.

Police confirmed that they had been alerted to two recent attempted burglaries in Beach Road.

One night last week Mrs Nierop-Reading was returning home when she heard someone tread on glass in the empty property beside hers. She headed back to the village to ring the police and said she saw someone leave the building and drive away.

“It isn’t at all pleasant. They need to get on with this demolition. They are empty, deteriorating and a security risk. It’s a bit like putting a sick animal to sleep – no-one wants to do it but you know it’s for the best,” she said.

“It will make it a bit colder up here for me, and less private, but it’s got to be done – it’s the worst of all possible worlds at the minute.”

A Midlands family have also refused to sell their two Beach Road holiday homes and the three remaining properties will leave a gap-toothed cliff-top line after demolition.

Campaigner Malcolm Kerby, of the Coastal Concern Action Group, said those who had decided to sell had received 40 to 50 per cent of their properties’ ‘no-problem’ market value out of NNDC’s £3m pot from the government’s pioneering Pathfinder scheme aimed at helping communities cope with erosion blight.

Although he believed central government should fully compensate householders for their loss, NNDC had “screwed as much out of the deal as possible for people,” based on current government policy which Mr Kerby said could be summarised as: “It’s your own fault for moving to the coast.”

He added: “What we’ve got is as good as it gets. I am very pleased with the outcome of the Pathfinder. I think when it’s complete later this year it will reset Happisburgh for the next quarter of a century in a very good way.”

Work on new Beach Road public toilets is due to begin “imminently” according to NNDC. The block will stand in a newly-built car park which replaces one nearer the cliff edge. The new facilities will be fully open at Easter and a picnic area will be ready soon afterwards.

Story by Alex Hurrell in the Eastern Daily Press

WALNEY residents whose homes are at risk of being washed into the sea have been snubbed by a government minister.

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock has now pledged to sit down with residents and town hall officials to consider the options after Richard Benyon refused his request to meet a local delegation to discuss the issue.

Mr Woodcock said: “The problem of coastal erosion at Earnse Bay is of pressing concern.

“Bit-by-bit the coastline is crumbling into the sea and this is causing alarm among residents of the West Shore Park site.

“I wrote to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs minister Richard Benyon in November asking him to meet us.

“He has declined that invitation, which I find disappointing given the serious nature of this issue and I feel sure that residents of north Walney will be frustrated by his decision. I had hoped that the meeting would go some way towards putting people’s minds at ease and sorting out the problem, but we are back where we were.

“I will be contacting residents and borough council officials so we can talk about options – such as exploring new ways of securing funding to build better sea defences.”

In his letter to Mr Woodcock the minister said he had no direct influence on the choice of projects that are granted funding.

Over recent years tidal erosion has affected many parts of the Furness coastline, with the Earnse Bay foreshore problem being particularly acute. Barrow Borough Council is the authority responsible for coastal protection.

It has made a number of applications to the Environment Agency seeking support to tackle the Earnse Bay erosion issue, as yet without success.

A Defra spokesman said: “Defra has no direct influence on which coastal erosion projects are allocated funding.

“The Environment Agency, which takes these decisions, has offered to meet with John Woodcock at his earliest convenience.”

Story in the North West Evening Mail

Christmas may be over and done with but what about all the left over Christmas trees?

With 8 million Christmas trees sold in the UK every year that can be quite a waste if they’re not put to good use.

Instead of throwing your tree on the rubbish heap why not use it to help the environment?

Well, Hayley decided to do just that and took hers to Formby in Merseyside to see how it can be used to prevent coastal erosion.

Story on BBC Newsround

WORKS to protect 65 homes in West Wittering from flooding in the future are going ‘full steam ahead’, the Environment Agency has said.

Residents and the community in the Witterings managed to raise an incredible £150,000 to help pay for the defence works.

The homes will be protected by raising the current embankment on the shore with clay. Preparation construction works have started but will not be implemented on the beach until April when birds stop nesting there.

Andrew Gilham of the Environment Agency (EA) said: “We imported 10,000 tonnes of clay at the end of last year. We got it in early so we were ready to start works as soon as possible, once the birds have finished nesting. We expect them to leave the site in early April.

“It’s full steam ahead for the main construction works. Over the last couple of months we held public exhibitions showing the designs. Feedback has been used to help shape the final decision.”

Plans to improve the sea defences at West Wittering is part of the Pagham to East Head Coastal Defence Strategy. It was decided that 65 homes in West Wittering were at risk from flooding unless they were strengthened and improved. The works had to get permission from Chichester District Council and were supported by West Wittering Parish Council.

Story in the Chichester Observer

The Environment Agency is calling on Newhaven, Seaford and Lewes residents to take part in an innovative project that will identify the best ways of adapting to the long term threats of coastal climate change.

As part of the Coastal Communities 2150 (CC2150) project, the Environment Agency is calling for community representatives including residents, businesses and local authorities, to get involved in setting up a group to plan ahead and decide how best to tackle these issues.

The coast around South East England is changing. With this in mind, the European funded CC2150 project aims to help communities get better prepared for the future effects of rising sea levels, increased flood risk and sinking land levels.

The Environment Agency will be hosting an open information evening for all those interested in getting involved at the Hillcrest Community Centre in Newhaven on Monday 16 January between 6pm and 8pm.

Together with the Environment Agency, the group will share views and influence how we can all best prepare for climate change along our coastline. New ways of adapting to these risks can provide new opportunities to build a better future for all.

By 2150, it is estimated that around 3,000 properties within Newhaven, Seaford and Lewes will be at risk of river and coastal flooding. We need to ensure future development does not compromise our ability to manage increasing flood risk by building homes too close to defences, and that the water quality of our rivers and the environment in general is protected.

John Gower, Environment Agency Project Manager, said: “Decisions taken today will have a significant and lasting impact on our coastline and the communities who will live and work along it in 2150, just as Victorian decision making has influenced how we manage our coastline today.

“The existing flood defence structures in these East Sussex communities are ageing. This will eventually have an impact on services such as rail and road networks, and will mean the electricity substation and properties are at greater risk of flooding. This means communities need to plan ahead now for how they will contribute to managing their flood risk and their local environment in the future.

“That’s why I urge everyone with an interest in safeguarding the future of these East Sussex towns to get involved and have their say on how we all can shape the future of these communities for generations to come.”

For further information on CC2150 or to register your interest in being part of the group, contact John Gower, CC2150 Project Manager, by email at: john.gower@environment-agency.gov.uk or visit the website at: www.cc2150.eu

Over five million people in England and Wales are at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea. Those in flood risk areas should sign up to the Environment Agency’s free flood warning system – the most immediate and localised source of information on flooding – by calling 0845 9881188 or visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood
1. Coastal communities across Europe face the prospect of significant change as rising sea levels and higher storms surges increase the risk of coastal erosion, flooding and salinisation.

2. CC2150 is a three year €2.9 million European communications project part-funded by the European 2 Seas programme between the Environment Agency, Kent County Council, Hampshire County Council in the UK, and Alterra in the Netherlands, and the Province of West-Flanders and Agency for MCS – Coastal Division in Belgium. Its aim is to develop community centred communications to enable communities to actively engage in long term coastal change adaptation strategies.

3. CC2150 is supported by the following funders:

- INTERREG 2 SEAS programme: Cross border cooperation programme
- In the UK: Defra; Environment Agency; Kent County Council; Hampshire County Council; Natural England.

From a press rlease on the Environment Agency website.

RESIDENTS can view information on how the coastline of the Lewes District is set to change during the next 20 years.

The district is part of a pioneering national pilot scheme to give the public online information on how the coast is changing.

A new set of web pages will provide information on how coastal erosion is expected to change the coastline in the next two decades.

The pages will also detail how the coast is being managed by the Environment Agency and the local authorities, as well as what coastal defences are in place.

The new system went live in November and reveals how the coastline area from Saltdean through Telscombe, Peacehaven, Newhaven, Seaford and along to Cuckmere Haven will alter over time.

All the information can be seen at the Environment Agency website.

Councillor Andy Smith, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Lewes District Council, said, “We are pleased that Sussex is a pilot for the national coastal erosion mapping project.

“This will give people living along the coast much better information on how the area is changing and on what we and our partners are doing to manage it.

“Having up-to date information also helps us in bidding for national funds to keep our coast defences in good condition.

“Where property and infrastructure might be at risk from erosion, it can help in getting work done to assess the options available for future management of the coast.

“We will then want to look at getting funds for implementing the preferred options.”

Story in the Eastbourne Herald

Steps leading down to the beaches around the Seven Sisters cliffs will be relocated because of coastal erosion.

Planning permission has been granted to allow Wealden District Council to build the new steps in the Birling Gap.

The Seven Sisters cliffs, from Seaford to Beachy Head, are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the South Downs National Park.

The new staircase will be built 3m (9.8ft) inland from its current position.

Johanna Howell, who is the cabinet member for community and the voluntary sector at the council, said: “The staircase, which provides the only access down to one of the most photographed locations in England, becomes more vulnerable as the cliff behind it is continually eroded.

“The staircase is designed to be periodically moved back to the cliff side as the rock face is washed away by the sea.

“With another season of winter storms on its way, we felt it was best to be prepared so that any necessary re-siting can be carried out as quickly as possible.”

The staircase was last moved in 2002.

Story on the BBC News website

A £400,000 scheme to protect a vulnerable stretch of Suffolk coastline has finished ahead of schedule.

The second phase of the project at Thorpeness involved nearly 2,000 fabric bags filled with sand and shingle being used to strength the defences.

The defences at the northern end of the village are being reconstructed and strengthened after damage caused by storms in June last year.

The work was made possible by a partnership involving Suffolk Coastal District Council, the Environment Agency and local residents.

Andy Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: “It is great that the £400,000 second phase scheme has completed its main and hugely important task of repairing and strengthening the damaged existing defences, so reducing the immediate threat to local homes from coastal erosion.

“Most of the funding is from the Government via the Environment Agency, with the remainder coming from this council and most importantly local residents, as without their £137,000 commitment the scheme would not have got financial backing from the Government.

A total of 1,856 bags were needed – 200 fewer than estimated – and the work, carried out by J Breheny Contractors Ltd, finished two weeks ahead of schedule. There will now be additional repair work to the gabions which could extend into February.

The work involved bags being laid eight to 10 layers deep on more than one-and-a-half square miles of geo-fabric, creating a 600ft toe-shaped structure that will provide vital support to the existing rock- filled wire basket revetment.

Charles Beardall, area manager for the Environment Agency, said: “We are delighted that this important scheme is progressing well. The local community are to be commended for the vital part that they have played in making this scheme possible.”

Because the area is still a
construction site, the fencing will have to remain up over the Christmas period and closed to public access.

Story by Jonathan Barnes on the Coastal Scene website