The East of England Coastal Initiative:Overview and Key Findings

Issue 1.3– December 2010

Making the most of coastal assets and opportunities

The East of England Coastal Initiative:Overview and Key Findings

The East of England Coastal Initiative is a multi-agency programme designed to address some major challenges facing our coast

This report gives an overview of the main conclusions from the work to date

More detailed analysis is contained in a number of background reports listed in the final section, and available on the Initiative website:

http://www.gos.gov.uk/ournetwork/goeast/Coastal_Initiative/

The findings are not statements of policy from the contributing organisations1. The report identifies issues that are likely to need a policy response – nationally or locally.

Introduction

Contents

Contents

Introduction

Decision-making principles

Improving coastal governance

Increasing awareness & understanding

Regeneration, growth & coastal change

Opportunities for local economies

Legacy, background reports & links

1 Contributing organisations are listed on slide 8

The Coastal Initiative is an integrated response to profound & inter-related challenges facing the East of England Coast

Our coast is an environment which is particularly vulnerable to flooding, erosion and long-term inundation from the sea

Reflecting a mainly low-lying nature, soft sedimentary rocks and the gradual sinking of the land mass2

These processes have been occurring for thousands of years - but threaten to accelerate as climate change leads to rising sea levels

The consequences need to be considered for the places potentially at risk – along both the built and undeveloped coast…

Introduction

Background

2 A relic of the last ice age, with northern and western parts of the country still ‘rebounding’ following glacial retreat

The region’s most outstanding landscapes and many of its most important habitats are concentrated on the coast

It is rich in archaeological remains and built heritage

These are places that people value in their own right, as well as being vital for leisure/tourism and contributing greatly to the biodiversity value of the region and beyond

The coast is home to a significant part of the region’s population, some of its key businesses (including major ports and nuclear power) and important economic opportunities – notably the potential offered by offshore wind power

Introduction

Background

The coast is a place of enormous environmental, social and economic value… and also opportunity

Some of the region’s most deprived communities lie on the coast - as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation

In many cases these coincide with locations at risk from coastal flooding or erosion

What this highlights is that the coast faces a distinctive set of interrelated issues – environmental, social and economic

The Coastal Initiative is part of the response - it has explored connections between the key challenges, considered the opportunities they present and highlighted the scope for integrated solutions

Crucially, it also highlights the need for a multi-agency approach to the coast, and the importance of action at national, strategic and local levels

Introduction

Background

But many coastal communities face social and economic problems, as well as the challenge of physical change

Against this background, the Coastal Initiative aims to inform and influence thinking about the coast at a number of levels

Fundamentally, the work seeks to help places help themselves in considering and responding to coastal issues. It provides information, analysis and examples - rather than prescribing solutions for particular locations. Thus, it supports locally-led approaches to managing change.

In parallel, a major focus has been to use local evidence and examples to inform and influence national policy, especially to address tensions between development and flood risk, how decisions are made on coastal defence and what communities need to help them adapt to change.

Some decisions will continue to be made (or at least coordinated) at a strategic level. The initiative has developed principles that will help to inform strategic decisions about flood defence spending as well as planning policies for the coastal zone.

Introduction

Purpose

In practice these levels of thinking are strongly inter-related.

A key strength of the initiative has been its ability to harness the ideas of organisations at all levels, so that practice and local experience informs policy and vice-versa.

The questions that have guided the work are deliberately selective. They deal with the particular issues raised where the environmental, economic and social challenges facing the coast interact

In this way, the work avoids duplication of existing work

Nor is the Initiative about prescribing the way forward for particular communities. Instead, it identifies more general lessons that can be interpreted and applied as appropriate

A flexible approach has been taken to the meaning of the ‘coast’ that includes:

– large scale coastal communities and their hinterlands (often using data for coastal authorities as a whole)

– detailed information for individual coastal settlements

Introduction

Scope of the work

The Initiative provides a strategic framework for all partners to integrate coastal issues and offer locally tailored options for the coast

Introduction

Partners

A range of organisations have been involved in the work, both directly and indirectly

They recognised the issues on the coast and the necessity to work together to find integrated solutions. In addition, a strong relationship has been maintained with policy making in Whitehall (DCLG & Defra), through

the involvement of GO-East

GO-East has provided the secretariat function for the Initiative overall (including a full-time Project Manager), which has been steered by an informal Board comprising representatives of most of these bodies

Funding has been provided by Defra, Natural England, the European Commission (via the Imcore programme in which CoastNet is a partner) and EEDA, alongside numerous contributions in kind from the Initiative’s partners

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20,000

40,000

60,000

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100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

Lower Deprivation Places - IMD score below national av.5

Higher Deprivation Places - IMD score above national av.

Settlements on the coast are home to a tenth of the region’s population (mostly living in larger towns)3

Around 230,000 people work in these places. And the Gross Value Added (GVA) of our coastal local authorities as a whole has been estimated as £24 billion – exceeding that of Northern Ireland4

However the coast underperforms economically, with levels of business formation, employment, job growth and earnings below the regional average

Social indicators also point to some significant underlying problems, notably through relatively high levels of dependency on benefits

This is not a uniform picture. Some - but not all - smaller places are relatively prosperous:

Introduction

Why this matters

If we look at the context more closely, the scale of the issues and the importance of the work becomes clearer

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3 As shown in the chart below. From Beatty & Fothergill (2010) 4 Globe Regeneration Ltd (2008) 5 Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2007

Range of places facing erosion, inundation and coastal defence issues

Different types of community are at risk and responses need appropriate tailoring – from engagement to emergency planning to adaptation to spatial planning

Rapid & dramatic nature of change in some locations

Introduction

Why this matters

A significant number of coastal communities will have to adapt to physical change over the next 50 years - and some are having to do so already

Failed defences

Soft cliffs

Caravan site

Houses at risk

50 years

25 years

100 years

TemporaryDefences

Photo: Mike Page

IntroductionHappisburgh - showing anticipated rate of loss over next 100 years

January 1992

January 2009

Coasts may be 'abandoned to sea'

Some parts of the British coastline are so badly eroded they are not worth protecting from the sea, the new head of the Environment Agency has said. Lord Smith of Finsbury said work was already under way to identify areas of the east and south coast most at risk.

In pictures: Village under threat

Introduction

Why this matters

And this change is receiving a good deal of media and political attention

Coastal habitats, such as inter-tidal mudflats, salt-marshes, shingle beaches, saline lagoons and brackish transition habitats (and many of the species which occupy them) are naturally dynamic.

Created by coastal processes eroding, transporting and depositing sediment, they are put at risk by attempts to prevent coastal change as this hinders their adaptation to changing physical circumstances.

Interrupting coastal processes in one part of the coast, e.g. by preventing cliff erosion, can starve other parts of the coast of sediment which is vital not just for habitats but also for flood and erosion defence and for maintenance of beaches.

Allowing coastal processes to occur unhindered if property is not at threat can release sediment supplies - reducing pressures on vital flood and erosion defences which are needed to protect property.

The East Anglian coast also has important freshwater grazing marshes and reed-beds which form a distinctive landscape and support valuable biodiversity just inland of the inter-tidal habitats.

These coastal habitats provide often under-valued benefits (ecosystem services) ranging from pollution control, through “soft” erosion or flood defence, to tourism, health and amenity value.

Introduction

Why this matters

The coast is incredibly environmentally valuable and this environment provides important human benefits

As sea levels rise, salt-marshes are eroded on their seaward side but grow on their landward side. By this process they migrate across and up the floodplains of estuaries. Man made sea defences built on their landward side prevent this adaptation, so they are lost by erosion.

This is known as coastal squeeze.

As well as settlements (and their defences) being at increasing risk, a number of important habitats are particularly vulnerable to change.

Hundreds of hectares of salt-marsh have been lost to coastal squeeze over the last few decades on the East Anglian Coast and this loss of salt-marsh increases the cost of maintaining sea defences.

But coastal change also offers opportunities:

– Allowing coastal change reduces pressures from coastal squeeze and allows space for coastal habitats to be re-created

– Freshwater habitats are threatened by coastal change causing flooding, erosion or saline intrusion from tidal waters. Such habitats can be recreated in less threatened areas, eg in fluvial floodplains, as a way of managing our response to coastal change.

– And these new habitats can provide new ecosystem services

Introduction

Why this matters

There are environmental opportunities as well as risks that need to be recognised

Getting the most from the coast requires resources - but people and ideas are as important as money

Significant investment has been made in coastal defences in recent years; however this would need to double over the next 25 years to keep pace with the anticipated effects of climate change

The pressure on public finances means that this may not be affordable from the public purse– and will also limit the money available for publicly-funded regeneration

A beneficiaries pay/ contribute approach will be vital

This underlines the need for innovative approaches to managing and funding the coast, drawing on local initiative and ideas

Planning and consenting processes designed for large projects will need to be streamlined and tailored for smaller local projects

The need to recognise and respond to the challenges facing the coast – including the requirement for physical adaptation – and the possibilities opened up by local approaches means that local communities need to be actively involved in considering and shaping their futures

Introduction

Why this matters

08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12

East of England (£)

Environment Agency Investment in coastal flood defences

Government investment in coastal regeneration

The objectives have been to find ways of:

Integrating and improving the processes we use to make decisions about the coast;

Enhancing the effectiveness of community engagement in these processes;

Improving the evidence base for considering coastal futures;

Providing an input to policies for the coast; and

Managing the implementation (and implications) of decisions about the coast.

There are several subsidiary questions that follow:

How can the need for regeneration and economic growth in many coastal locations be reconciled with physical change?

What opportunities do climate change and its consequences present for local economies?

How can we increase awareness and understanding of coastal threats and opportunities?

What principles should underpin decisions about coastal futures and funding?

How can the processes of governance on the coast be improved so as to allow effective and inclusive management of coastal change?

Introduction

Objectives

To help address these issues, the Coastal Initiative has pursued five objectives, and sought to answer a number of key questions

Work has been guided by two main questions:

How can coastal communities be helped to adapt to the challenges of erosion and flood risk in ways that support their local economies?

And how can we make more informed decisions about coastal futures and funding?

The chapters that follow this introduction are structured around these subsidiary questions, and outline the lessons learnt in relation to each one.

The market failure:

– Population needs must be considered in economically deprived or aging areas;

– Consequent regeneration must take account of the present and future risks of living on the coast

But

Housing led regeneration model is often not appropriate on the coast as it perpetuates the “defend-build-defend’ cycle;

There are few examples of gaining developer value without following a housing led approach;

The economics of low land values in rural areas mean reduced opportunities for regeneration;

Policies are often not complementary and may even be in conflict (e.g. not building in flood risk areas versus regeneration of coastal towns)

Regeneration

Issues

In many coastal communities in the East of England, regeneration is required

[Insert SQW map – typology cross cut by regeneration need]

Regeneration

Issues

But many of these same places face adaptation challenges

Assets and infrastructure critical to the future of communities are at risk but owners and beneficiaries rarely contribute to defence costs;

Temporary tourism accommodation at risk is used for permanent housing of vulnerable people due to lack of affordable housing;

Funding streams for defence and infrastructure are not closely linked with regeneration funding streams. Both are inflexible.

Even where defence will continue, risk still exists and the function and sustainability of a defended location may be affected by changes in the surrounding areas

[Insert 1953 flood fatalities map showing which places were primarily affected]

A settlement typology In both socio-economic and

environmental terms the East of England’s coastal places are extremely diverse. A classification helps to differentiate places with particularly difficult problems

settlement character was chosen as the socio-economic axis, defined by a) size of the resident population and b) settlement function

Settlement functionality is complex to define. Adjusted figures, where available, and local knowledge were used to provide an indicator based on the proportion of jobs in tourism

The coastal change axis needed to reflect the degree of tension with active coastal processes.

Regeneration

Settlement Typology

Understanding the tensions between regeneration demands and coastal environmental change is fundamental to the nature of solutions

Settlement typology of coastal places

In relation to regeneration and coastal adaptation, “reconcilliation”:

Must be understood as an on-going dialogue between these two dynamic processes; it is not some kind of static outcome or end-point

Is most likely to be achieved if there is sustained, substantive and engaged involvement from within the local community, and across the interface with statutory authorities, agencies and processes

Is far more likely to be achievable on an on-going basis if the requirements for both coastal adaptation and regeneration are modest and incremental rather than acute and urgent

Regeneration

Approaches

The diversity of situations points to locally developed and negotiated solutions

Key findings:

• The planning system, including marine planning, is an important tool for the development of holistic solutions

• Solutions must be developed and negotiated locally based on informed judgements in relation to risk

• This engagement process is vital and must be resourced

• Depending on local circumstances win-win outcomes (benefiting both community and environment) may be possible, but also imperatives can be intrinsically and irreconcilably mis-aligned

• There may be no in-situ solution and mechanisms like precluding new development or planning for roll-back must be brought to bear

• Local economies must both embrace change and reflect its nature, for example by developing business models based on newly created environmental assets

The coastal economy in brief:

Local economies based on low skilled, low paid work, often reliant on single industries and/or tourism with notable seasonality in their employment markets.

Low levels of skills and educational attainment.

Physical isolation and poor infrastructure links, hampering access to businesses, logistics and commuting.

Higher proportions of retired, older, or workless people in some communities, partly driven by a lack of opportunities in local economies, but also driven by demographic change, such as in-migration of claimant groups in response to lifestyle and housing available in seaside towns

Self-contained economies not well linked in to wider regional economy

Coastal economy

Issues

Economic opportunities on the coast will depend on overcoming, or in some cases taking advantage of, its demographic …..

6 All data on this slide from Beatty & Fothergill (2010)

Demography

Population has grown on average half a per cent a year – slower than average for the East but faster than other seaside towns.

Coastal communities have a markedly old population, especially the smaller communities.

Slow if not stagnant population growth from King’s Lynn to just north of Great Yarmouth in contrast to faster growth along Essex coast.

Inflow of migrant workers fairly high in King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth areas but lower elsewhere

Employment Sectors

Weak employment growth with small net decline in seaside tourism employment.

30% of jobs on the coast are in public administration, education and health – higher than regional and national averages.

High dependency on “bucket and spade” tourism and agriculture, especially in smaller communities.

Much of the infrastructure for tourism and agriculture is at risk from coastal change.

Occupational structure skewed to lower-grade jobs, especially in larger towns including King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Harwich and Clacton.

Seasonable fluctuations in claimant unemployment are 0.5 percentage points – greater than regional and England average>

Seasonal unemployment most significant on stretch of coast between Mundesley and Great Yarmouth

Coastal economy

Issues

…. and business sector make-up

7 All data on this slide from Beatty & Fothergill (2010)

Benefit claimant rates

Working age benefit claimant rate well above regional and England averages.

Benefits claimants dominated by incapacity claimants – not unusual for coastal communities or UK as whole – but have increased in common with other seaside towns outside the East of England. May be because receivers of benefits are attracted to coastal towns.

Average claimant rates have increased by around one percentage point.

Claims for Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit are on average more widely claimed than the regional or England average.

There are opportunities to grow the coastal economy but these need to be based on an understanding of its economic function (how it works)

Current function Favoured for retirement.

Seaside resorts with consequently high proportion of jobs in distribution, hotels and restaurants.

Considerable variability between but also within the East of England’s seaside communities.

Possible opportunities Market coast for a diverse range of visitor needs to

promote opportunities for jobs as well as create alternative adaptive models for rural areas.

Consider and promote the environmental assets.

Develop links between tourism strategies and agriculture to capitalise on eco-tourism and farm stays.

Use coastal change information to consider less risky areas for tourism in future and link to the spatial planning process.

Consider what will grow/ maintain/ diversify the coastal economy when developing flood and coastal risk management schemes

Coastal economy

Opportunities

Chart 1. Variation of IMD rankings of LSOAs in seaside towns in the East of England

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IMD variation Low /High

IMD variation Average

And we still do not have any real understanding of the long-term and inherent economic potential of the East of England coast

Coastal economy

Questions

Variability and diversity may be concealing the long-term potential of the coast.

Reasons for high claimant levels and poor quality housing are currently based on educated guesses, rather than evidence.

When public spending is constrained, interventions need to be even more targeted.

Physical coastal change may be overshadowing attempts to respond to economic change.

The future economy will need to respond and adapt to climate risk.

There is little evidence to suggest that traditional approaches to building the economy will work on the coast.

Outstanding questions:

What are the key causes of coastal underperformance?

How important are the consequences of economic underperformance for wider socio-economic outcomes?

What is the economic prognosis for different types of place, based on their current circumstances and outlook?

Is there evidence that spending on regeneration action/ economic promotion has had a significant impact where it has occurred?

How might we ‘turn the curve’ in the future for places that are performing poorly?

Political and community understanding of the likelihood and reality of physical coastal change is patchy

Sea level rise and climate change are not necessarily accepted nor understood.

Messages about coastal change are confusing – is the need for change due to money or natural processes.

There is a strong feeling that change is an environmental issue and that “birds are more important than people.”

• There are lots of different coastal projects undertaken by different partners often at the same time - people get consultation fatigue.

Awareness

Issues

Even coastal communities themselves are not aware of all the issues which affect their futures.

Both professional and community understanding tends to be “silo-ed” with differing levels of understanding.

There is no independent “one-stop shop” for communities to get information – it is fragmented between different organisations.

1. Agree simple messages about coastal change and risk based on local evidence.

2. Get communities to a simple level of understanding and build on that – start where they are.

3. Prioritise need for increased levels of awareness based on the risk a community faces.

4. Partners identify all communication routes and share consultation approaches to integrate coastal issues.

5. Identify specialists in all relevant organisations to develop this approach.

6. Identify an independent trusted broker who can act as a “one stop shop” locally

Awareness

Approaches

Partners have been testing different approaches to raise awareness of coastal change and to develop responses

“Building Trust with Communities” - Environment Agency approach to developing bottom-up community responses.

Various projects in the East of England have tested this and other approaches. Key lessons are:

Defra Coastal Change Pathfinders

© 2001-2009 Pictures of England.com

Awareness

Issues

Awareness

Pathfinders

Pathfinder lessons (due to be published in January 2012)

Awareness

Literacy

Understanding of coastal change varies enormously, and this is a significant barrier to adaptation

CoastNet, an independent charity and specialists in community engagement, have responded with a framework for improved ‘coastal literacy’.

A coastal literate person:

Understands the Essential Concepts about the functioning of the coast, encompassing social economic and environmental aspects;Can communicate about the coast in a meaningful way; Is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the coast and its resources.

The framework provides points of reference for a more balanced understanding and debate, amongst all parties, about coastal change. This is needed because:

Concepts about environmental coastal change are well developed, but less so regarding social and economic change;

The uniqueness of the coast and wellbeing and identity of coastal communities are also less well understood;

Continued efforts are needed to improve knowledge and understanding amongst all parties.

Decision making on the coast is a balancing act! Decision making

Issues

Strategic needs;

Decisions in the best interests of the environment;

Un-monetised environmental benefits/ services;

Uncertainty of long-term evidence

Local determination;

Decisions in the best interest of the economy;

Monetised social and economic benefits/ services;

Immediate need for action

Because of the complicated governance, decision-making is complex

Decision-making

Issues

There is uncertainty over the evidence and where responsibility lies. This leads to inertia at best or isolated decisions at worst.

•Because of the complex decision-making processes, there is a lot of duplication, additional cost and waste of time and resources.

•The Environment Agency have been given a “strategic overview” of coastal change but it is not clear how this role interacts with the responsibilities of Natural England and Local Authorities.

•An Ecosystems Services approach can be applied to decision-making on the coast but there has been limited take-up, possibly due to its perceived environmental focus.

Principles:

Partnership-working is key to cut out waste and duplication;

Natural coastal change must underpin changing management decisions;

Likelihood of further sea level rise and the need for adaptation must be taken into account;

Ecosystems services need to be valued and consequent private/public investment facilitated and exploited;

Decision-making

Planning Principles

The Initiative developed a number of principles for spatial planning on the coast

1. A spatial focus - identify those stretches of coast that are vulnerable to coastal change

2. A longer term view – looking beyond the usual planning horizon; taking a risk-based approach to development in potentially vulnerable locations; and recognising and responding to opportunities for improving economic, social and environmental conditions that may arise from coastal change

3. A precautionary approach to development - ensure, where long-term regeneration continues to be pursued, that an adequate standard of defences can be maintained; and consider and plan for the implications of differential rates of shoreline retreat (in line with current and anticipated investment in defences)…

4. The need to adapt to coastal change - make clear provision for the relocation of coastal assets at risk of erosion or permanent inundation….(and) to assist the viability of relocation, consider using an ‘exceptions’ approach

5. Recognise the coast’s natural environment and historic assets

Areas set for growth and

regeneration on the coast

Areas susceptible to

coastal erosion and flooding

Designated and high quality natural

environments in coastal areas

Focus for policy on Coastal Change

Areas of overlap that need specific direction within the planning document

Addressed by wider policies in the

planning document

Decision-making

Planning Principles

When developing spatial planning documents, it is important to focus on the areas where specific policies or direction are required.

8 EELGA – East of England Plan evidence

Governance

Issues

Coastal governance – the way decisions are made and implemented – is difficult but it matters

[Insert SQW governance diagram]

Governance is difficult because:

Coast difficult to define – means different things to different people. Definition is dependant on the issue;

Coastal issues are seen as technical or specialist - hence not considered adequately in mainstream spatial planning and economic development, etc.;

There is a disjunction between those with statutory powers, those providing resources and those with local accountability – leading to a lack of leadership;

There is also a disjunction between onshore and offshore planning and activity;

Multiple agencies are involved and not well integrated;

Timescales vary for different agencies’ work and different planning and decision-making processes;

The one defining characteristic of the coast – change – is often placed in the “too difficult” box.

The Initiative considered governance through a study of particular places and particular issues.

These are widely applicable because of the way in which governance issues permeate all aspects of coastal management.

Many (but not all) tensions identified are around how coastal risk management interacts with other decision processes on the coast

Flood and coastal risk management decisions affect all other activities on the coast. This makes it the default driver for change.

However, where scale of settlement is such that existing development will be defended in short, medium and long-term, need to engage with issues is reduced - in such cases, infrastructure and development planning may not take account of the long-term “shape” of the coast.

Consequently, the Environment Agency becomes the “default decision-maker”, where the decisions which flow from coastal risk management decisions have consequences beyond the Agency’s remit, due to the wider impacts on communities on the coast or its hinterland.

Successful partnerships enable better policies and plans BUT are limits when reach action point or establishing the necessary means to implement difficult policies.

Governance

Issues

Although no-one suggests that current governance arrangements are working well, there is an absence of strong alternative proposals

Governance is so complicated that ultimate decision-makers are not always known nor the process through which decisions are made

A focus on the economy is likely to result in short term priorities, actions and interventions resulting in delay to consideration/ grappling with biggest coastal challenges

coast is a wider asset with a role beyond the individuals and individual communities who live there. The non-coastal population use the coast and benefit from its success or otherwise.

need economies of scale, shared learning and technical expertise

Integration and development of bespoke/ innovative solutions happens best at the local level – because it has to;

Strong community leadership is required

Governance

Issues

An integrated approach is not easy to achieve, particularly where comprehensiveness is a goal, as the number and scope of organisations with an interest and role on the coast is so numerous

A more local approach provides scope for developing and testing new governance arrangements.

Governance

Recommendations

Governance Recommendations

The Governance Study makes 12 recommendations

grouped under two headings:

‘Thinking Coastal’ – which includes recommendations about leadership, strategic thinking and establishing coastal issues amongst other priorities.

‘Supporting delivery’ – which brings together the recommendations that deal with how changes can be implemented.

Action Plan Legacy

Action Plan

As well as a range of broad recommendations that have resulted from the various workstrands, the Coastal Initiative partnership has compiled an action plan as a legacy from the project. It can be accessed at this link.................