Coastal change policy: how can we adapt?

North Norfolk District Council is bidding for a share of £11 million designated to help coastal communities adapt to coastal change.

North Norfolk District Council is answering the Government’s call for ‘pathfinder’ bids for a share of £11 million designated to help coastal communities adapt to coastal change.

NNDC has been at the forefront of lobbying and policy-making on coastal adaptation, through national working groups comprising national Government departments and agencies alongside local councils, and, as a result, the Government is developing a Coastal Change Policy for England — supported by the £11 million fund for innovative adaptation projects.

The Government is inviting ideas for its Coastal Change Policy until 11 September. The consultation is looking for ways that communities can be supported in the face of an eroding coast, if sea defences cannot be justified. This might include taking a different approach to development control, giving councils the power to buy at-risk properties and lease them back to residents, giving people practical help if they lose their homes, and maintaining infrastructure that is vital for businesses and householders.

The Coastal Change Policy consultation documents can be found on the government’s website: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/coastal-change/

NNDC is applying to be a ‘pathfinder’ council, building on its experience of coastal management and working closely with communities to plan for coastal change.

Pathfinder projects are expected to develop imaginative local solutions to issues such as loss of investment, loss of confidence, blight and environmental degradation which affect many of our coastal settlements to varying degrees. The Council will also continue to campaign for long-term solutions by responding to the consultation and demonstrating innovative schemes that can be repeated elsewhere.

Councillor Clive Stockton is NNDC’s Cabinet Member for Coastal Strategy, and also sits on the National Local Government Association’s Coastal Special Interest Group. He said: “This initiative represents a step change in Government policy towards coastal management, recognising for the first time the plight of coastal communities and their need for support in confronting the changes which they face.”

Councillor Stockton urged people to respond to the Government’s consultation paper, saying: “What happens to our coast, and to the communities on it, affects the livelihood of the whole District. We are working closely with the Coastal Concern Action Group in developing our projects and we are anxious to ensure that we have the support of coastal communities, and that our projects respond appropriately to local needs. We are also keen to find partners in delivering the projects should we be successful in getting funding.”

The Council’s response to the Coastal Change Policy consultation and its pathfinder bid will be considered by NNDC’s Cabinet on 7 September.

For more information about coastal adaptation in North Norfolk and NNDC’s pathfinder project ideas, contact Rob Young, Coastal Planner, on 01263 516162 or email coastalmanagement@north-norfolk.gov.uk

ENDS