The House of Commons, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee will hear from a number of witnesses tomorrow in a live evidence session as part of its long-term inquiry into climate and weather resilience.
The Committee will explore the plight of coastal communities facing the risk of collapse from cliffs worn away by waves, weather and rising sea levels in an evidence session exploring coastal erosion and landslides.
Coastal erosion is a natural process of loss of land on the coast by removal of sediment on the coastline. Rates of coastal erosion vary but areas with softer, sedimentary rocks are the most vulnerable.
This includes Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire, where the coastline is creeping inland, causing distress and anxiety to residents. Written evidence to the inquiry has revealed the depth of despair felt by communities and individuals. Recent news coverage has followed developments in the coastal villages of Happisburgh, Thorpeness and Cowbar.
Landslides also represent a considerable challenge for communities in hilly or mountainous areas as well as on the coast. Heavy rainfall, associated groundwater changes, geology and human land use are often the cause, with similarly devastating results. For example, insurance is proving expensive and difficult to secure, with incidents prompting blanket increases for communities on the Isle of Wight.
The Committee will hear from a range of councils facing different challenges related to coastal erosion and landslides and seek to understand the remit and range of their work. On the second panel, MPs will question those with direct responsibility for planning and implementing government policy. Defra has national responsibility for policy on Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management, assisted by responsible bodies such as the Environment Agency.
Witnesses on 18 November:
Panel 1, in public, at 10.00:
- Natasha Dix, Service Director for Waste, Environment and Planning, Isle of Wight Council
- Rob Goodliffe, Coastal Transition Manager, North Norfolk District Council
- Richard Jackson, Principal Sustainable Development Officer, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Karen Thomas, Head of Coastal Management, East Suffolk Council
Panel 2, in public, at 11.10:
- Julie Foley, Director of FCERM Strategy and Adaptation, Environment Agency
- Jaap Flikweert, Coastal representative, Anglian Eastern RFCC, and Flood and Coastal Management Advisor, Haskoning
The Environment Agency's Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Strategy Roadmap is due to end in 2026 – the inquiry seeks to determine how current policy frameworks remain as the challenges of climate change and their human costs are felt across the UK.
Click here to watch the evidence session live or via Partliament TV afterwards
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