Coastal Erosion

On north Norfolk's cliffed coastline, the major problem is erosion of the cliffs. The prevention of coastal erosion is termed coast protection and is provided by Maritime District Councils such as North Norfolk District Council (NNDC). The council is responsible for both constructing and maintaining the defences on its frontage, in line with the guidance and criteria provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Defra also provide funding for coast protection works through their grant aid service. The erosion risk areas for the north Norfolk area of responsibility are shown in the Shoreline Management Plan (6) (Previously Sub Cell 3b). Policies relating to development in these areas are included in the Core Strategy.

The north Norfolk cliffs are basically comprised of a contorted mix of silts, sands, clays and gravels that were deposited during the glacial and interglacial phases of the last 2 million years. The cliffs provide little resistance to the aggressive action of North Sea waves, which erode the base of the cliffs. In addition, when the cliff material has a high water content it becomes unstable and, together with wave action, this results in slips & slides of large amounts of material along the coastline, leading to a general retreat of the cliff line.

House Purchases and Erosion Risk
For enquires about house purchases and erosion risk please take time to initially explore the webpages detailed below.

Our Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) page defines the two SMPs that cover the geographical area of NNDC’s coastal frontage.  It also explains NNDC’s position with regards to adoption of SMPs.  Area maps of the Kelling Hard to Lowestoft (6) (Previously 3b) SMP can be accessed from this page.  These show predicted rates of coastal erosion for each specific area.

Our Coastal Management Plan page details workshops held in coastal villages and research undertaken into the impacts of coastal erosion.  It also details possible options to enable communities to adapt in response to coastal change.  Our successful bid to Defra has resulted in £3 million being granted to NNDC to be used to help communities adapt to coastal change under the North Norfolk Pathfinder Programme.

If you wish to ask more about the policy for a particular area, we request you write to us with a copy of the property details to aid our identification of the specific section of coast you wish us to refer to. 

Development and Coastal Erosion Guidance
Guidance for prospective developers and those determining planning applications on the nature of development that is likely to be appropriate within the Coastal Erosion Constraint Area is contained in the following document:

Development and Coastal Erosion Guidance (PDF 150KB)

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Please access our Education pages to discover more about the geographical history, coastal processes and protection work carried out around the North Norfolk District Council coastline.