Coastwise
Introducing Coastwise
Coastwise is a new North Norfolk initiative to transition and prepare coastal communities where the coast is eroding.
Coastwise is a nationally funded scheme, through the Coastal Transition Acceleration Programme, funded by DEFRA and the Environment Agency.
The coastal transition challenge in North Norfolk
Over the next 100 years, it is predicted that over 1,000 homes will be lost to erosion in North Norfolk. Erosion will impact whole communities by threatening businesses, roads, footpaths, and utilities such as sewage, water and electricity. It will also affect our wellbeing, beach access and heritage assets such as churches, lighthouses, listed buildings, and much more.
The consequences of erosion are profound and require advanced planning to transition to being more prepared. Coastwise will involve working together in North Norfolk to develop nationally useful practical actions, plans and policy, funding and finance options.
Action needs to be taken now to explore how local authorities, communities, individuals, and national government can best work together to prepare and plan for coastal erosion.
Come along to our Coastwise Cafe
Coastwise is hosting more Coastwise Cafe events in November to provide updates. Each café will focus on housing and have unique location-based topics. Date, times and locations are available below.
Feedback from the cafes has generated ideas around different ways to communicate, identify community concerns, and place-based actions towards preparing for coastal change, as well as a focus for future project activities.
Everyone is welcome at our Coastwise Cafe events. We will provide refreshments and interactive activities for children.
Overstrand
Tuesday 19 November from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Overstrand Parish Hall
The Overstrand Cafe will focus on key infrastructure and the setting up of a local community group to take ideas forward.
Trimingham
Thursday 21 November from 2.30pm to 5.30pm at Trimingham Hall
The Trimingham Cafe will include discussions around the water investigation study and an update on the Coast Road.
Happisburgh
Saturday 23 November from 9am to 1pm at Happisburgh Wenn Evans Centre
The Happisburgh Cafe will provide an update on the work around the graveyard, the car park replacement, and possible uses for the land at Old Caravan Park.
West Runton
Tuesday 26 November from 9.30am to 12.30pm at West Runton Scout Hall
The West Runton Cafe will introduce Coastwise and discuss caravan parks in the area.
Meet the Coastwise team
The team brings together a range of skills and experiences to work with communities, businesses, asset owners, policy makers and a whole host of people with an interest in the future of North Norfolk’s eroding coast.
Why is the North Norfolk coast eroding?
Coastal erosion of the soft cliffs in North Norfolk is a natural process that has been happening for thousands of years. From the late 19th century, erosion risk management structures were constructed along the coast. Since then, these structures have stopped or slowed erosion in many places. It reduces the sand and gravel that would have naturally been released from the cliffs, which replenish our beaches. Consequently, our beaches have been decreasing in size, allowing wave energy to reach our cliffs. Many of our defence structures are deteriorating well past their designed lifespan. Continued maintenance and renewal of these across the coast is neither affordable, technically feasible, nor environmentally sustainable.
Climate change
Climate change is affecting all of us, and coastal communities are at the forefront of this change due to rising sea levels and shifts in weather patterns, which will accelerate coastal erosion.
What is Coastwise?
Coastwise is an initiative that will work with individuals, communities, businesses, infrastructure owners, government and others to explore and demonstrate how coastal places can plan and take actions to prepare and transition from coastal erosion risk.
Between now and 2027, North Norfolk District Council is delivering Coastwise, which is part of the Environment Agency’s Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme.
Aims
It aims to generate transferable learning to shape future government approaches to managing coastal erosion by supporting communities in planning and preparing for coastal change.
The two local authorities selected for the initial phase of this programme are East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk. These two locations were chosen as they have the highest erosion rates in England and, compared to other areas, a large number of properties at risk.
In North Norfolk, Coastwise will focus on the eroding coast from Weybourne to Happisburgh.
What will Coastwise do?
Coastwise involves working together to co-develop transition plans for the future to suit the needs of North Norfolk communities affected by coastal erosion.
The programme runs until 2027 and will deliver practical actions identified in the plans, which could include:
- replacing property and facilities at immediate risk of coastal erosion
- improving and replacing damaged community infrastructure
- repurposing land in coastal erosion zones for different uses, such as temporary car parks and restoring and creating habitats
Our communities will need funding to continue to transition to a changing coast in the future, so alongside the practical actions, one of the Coastwise priorities will be to investigate how to finance this into the future.
Coastwise will help North Norfolk plan and prepare for ongoing coastal erosion by developing and trialling practical options we could use elsewhere. We will learn from this national example to help other at-risk communities.
Key outcomes for Coastwise
- More prepared and resilient coastal communities.
- Supported, resourced and prepared local governance for coastal erosion transition.
- Informed and impacting national and local policy, strategies, plans and processes for coastal management.
What sort of things might Coastwise help to explore or do?
Practical support
- developing options for those whose homes are at risk from erosion
- exploring ideas such as residential part ownership of replacement homes
- help for businesses affected by erosion
Heritage
- better understanding of the options for key historic buildings such as churches
- working with other organisations and specialists
- developing plans for graveyards that are at erosion risk
Infrastructure
- accelerating decisions and actions regarding key infrastructure
- relocation of roads, utilities
- improvements to local environment, access and recreation
Planning
- enabling relocation of homes
- provision of plots of land to build replacement homes
Policy and recommendations for government
- evidence, examples, and opportunities for the government to adopt approaches or adjust policies to support coastal transition
Information and education
- creating accessible information to help everyone have a better understanding of coastal erosion
- better information for people wanting to know more and investigate their options
- information to enable fully informed property purchases
- working with young people to think about future needs on the coast
Funding and finance
- looking at national funding options where defence is not possible
- investigating national opportunities for different kinds of funding
- coastal erosion insurance
- local and national long-term financing for adaptation and transition to coastal change