By Andrew Spence.
The East Riding is among a number of coastal communities in England set to benefit from a £30 million investment to battle eroding shores. Around 20,000 English homes could be at risk from coastal change by the end of the century.
The Environment Agency has announced new Coastal Adaptation Pilots in which £18 million will be shared between coastal projects across the East Riding of Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk to continue advanced coastal adaptation work. These areas have been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to coastal transition and will help fund new long-term adaptation approaches.
A further £12 million will also be made available to Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs) to select projects that can deliver smaller scale actions. The new pilot schemes will build upon the £36 million Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme, which continues to support coastal authorities to trial new methods for managing erosion. This has helped residents and businesses move away from high-risk areas while sharing insights with other vulnerable communities. The pilots, which are due to start in April, will be managed by the Environment Agency.
The local areas will be required to provide a 10% funding contribution. This aims to add over £3 million in additional investment on top of the £30 million from the Environment Agency.
Emma Hardy, the Government’s Floods Minister is also the MP for Hull West and Haltemprice. She has said: “Coastal erosion is one of the most challenging impacts of climate change, and we will always support our towns to adapt where the forces of nature make long-term defence impossible. This new government investment will help some of our most at-risk coastal areas take practical action now, while building the evidence we need to support coastal communities across the country in the decades ahead.”
Councillor Barbara Jefferson, East Riding of Yorkshire cabinet member for heritage and coastal said: “This is 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.”
