Almost £600million worth of coastal homes in England could be lost to the sea by 2100, according to a climate action group. Some 21 villages and hamlets have been identified as being at risk by campaigners One Home. Communities in Sussex, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, East Yorkshire, Essex, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Northumberland and Norfolk are set to be affected, it said.
Some 21 villages and hamlets have been identified as being at risk by campaigners One Home. Communities in Sussex, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, East Yorkshire, Essex, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Northumberland and Norfolk are set to be affected, it said.
And the cost of the destruction could amount to £584million, based on average local authority values or site-specific values from Rightmove.
Angela Terry, chief executive of One Home, warned: “Sea levels are rising as global temperatures soar and so larger waves batter our coast during severe storms. These irreversible changes mean some cliff faces are crumbling fast.
“We can’t turn the tide or build a wall around the entire coast so we urgently need to help seaside communities to prepare for the damage that will come.”
One Home used the Environment Agency’s National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping (NCERM) data with a measure set at five percent confidence – indicating a less than five percent chance of the coast being eroded further inland than the estimate.
“Currently, for those homes at risk, there is no compensation scheme available.
“Owners might be asked to pay to demolish their homes while still paying their mortgage.”
One Home is concerned that more than a third of England’s coastline has a designation of “no active intervention”, which means nothing will be done.
The other two levels of protection in SMPs are “hold the line”, meaning defences will be maintained and upgraded if funding is found, and “managed realignment”, which involves moving or allowing the shoreline to retreat in a managed way.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We know the devastating impact flooding and coastal change can have – which is why improving the resilience of people and communities is our priority.
“From 2015 to 2021, we invested £1.2billion to better protect around 200,000 homes from coastal erosion and sea flooding.
“However, climate change means that our coast is changing at an accelerated rate, meaning in some places we and coastal authorities will need to help local communities adapt and transition away from the current coastline.
“We are working closely with communities and local authorities to provide support and guidance, including through the Coastal Accelerator Transition Programme.
“Anyone living, visiting or working along the coast can already find out about coastal risk and current and planned coastal management by going on gov.uk.”
To see One Home’s map, visit: onehome.org.uk/campaign/
