Drainage authorities, farmers and the Environment Agency were this week squaring up for a battle over the need to maintain sea defences for key farming areas in Norfolk.

Norfolk is too valuable to be allowed to flood, despite rising sea levels, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA) claimed this week.

“As far as engineering skills are concerned we could certainly carry out protection of that coast, in the long-term, and when we look at the assets there we may find that we need to,” said ADA chief executive Jean Venables, who is also senior ICE vice president.

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The ADA stressed that future coastal defence schemes for low-lying areas such as the Norfolk coast must be considered with regard to their effect on the local community.

Environment Agency chairman Sir John Harman told local government officers last week that they had to take a wider view on flood defences.

“Regarding managed retreat, we need to get used to thinking not just about single communities, but a whole coast,” he said.

Read the full story by Kevin Walsh on the New Civil Engineer website (registration required)