Professor Jim Hall, who is a member of the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Council and internationally recognized for his work on climate risks, said some coastal communities would disappear in the coming decades. However, there is little help for existing homeowners to move inland, and people buying property are not aware of their financial stakes. He said holding back the sea along the entire coastline would be too expensive and the government should instead have an “honest conversation” with coastal communities. “I don’t think people really recognize the way things are going to change in the future,” he said. “The price of beachfront property does not reflect the risk people are exposed to. “Now maybe if people are moving to the coast for their retirement, they’re there for a limited time and it makes perfect sense to do. “But we can’t expect coastal real estate to be there forever.” According to the Met Office, sea levels around the UK coast are likely to rise by around 115cm by the end of the century. However, some scientists say the projections are too conservative and that accelerating rates of melting of mountain and polar ice caps will lead to much larger increases. When combined with storms, the higher water will flood inland and undermine rocks, causing them to collapse. Image: Sea levels around Britain are likely to rise by around 115cm by the end of the century, Met Office says “200,000 homes at risk” The east and south coasts of England are particularly vulnerable because the cliffs are made of sand, gravel and clay. However, low-lying estuaries across the country are also at risk. According to analysis by the University of East Anglia’s Tyndall Centre, 200,000 properties in England could be vulnerable to sea level rise by 2050. However, fewer than 35,000 have been identified as at risk by official planning documents. Many communities facing an uncertain future have yet to be identified, the researchers warned. Professor Hall said property inspectors check Environment Agency flood maps during a property purchase but do not have access to detailed information about the risks of accelerating sea level rise and coastal erosion. He added that the Environment Agency had taken a strategic overview of the risk, but engagement with communities was left to overstretched local authorities. Ultimately it’s “the government’s responsibility,” he said. Image: The price of coastal property does not reflect the risk people are exposed to, says Professor Hall “These are very emotional issues, understandably so. These are many people’s possessions, in places they really love. “So when coastal erosion, coastal flooding and sea level rise hit the press, it becomes very controversial and local MPs get involved. “Politically this is very hot and this makes it difficult for the central government.” “My house is shaking” The Environment Agency has said it will maintain and increase sea defenses along the coasts of major cities or near key infrastructure, a strategy it calls “holding the line”. But the sea will be allowed to invade rural areas with smaller communities. The village of Happisburgh in Norfolk is one of the most vulnerable in the country. It has lost 40 houses in three decades as the rising sea has breached the soft rocks. When Nicola Bayless’s family bought their house in 2000, they were told it would be safe for 150 years, but the sea has moved in so fast he fears it could be gone in 10 – if they’re lucky. “When the sea hits the cliff, the house shakes,” he said. “I’m so close.” “It is the power of the sea. You won’t believe how it can just destroy the cliff. It just goes away every time we have a high tide. “Climate change is happening – you can see it from this. People are very closed inland because they don’t see it every day.” Image: Nicola Bayless was told her house would be OK for 150 years – but she thinks she may soon be gone “We need a plan now” The council says it has helped some people relocate, but funding is limited and there is no national plan for climate refugees. Rob Goodliffe, of Coast Partnership East, which brings together three local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk, said the cost of rebuilding further inland could be prohibitive. “We have to get to a point where we have options, so we don’t just walk into a property and say, ‘Sorry, it has to be demolished because it’s going to be lost over a cliff,’” he said. he said. “Perhaps a program where the cost, like the flood risk system, is shared across the country is a way forward. “We need to have these conversations now, instead of waiting and reacting. We have to plan for the future.” The government has worked with insurance companies to make flood cover more affordable for properties near rivers and streams. But he said coastal erosion is a natural process, so there is no compensation for homeowners. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has allocated £36 million over six years to pilot ways to help a small number of coastal areas transition and adapt to a changing climate.
