Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Government provides to help communities adapt to the challenges caused by coastal erosion; and whether her Department has plans to increase that support.

To help communities adapt to the challenges of coastal erosion, the Government has made a record investment of £5.2 billion which includes defences for the coast where it is sustainable and affordable to defend the coastline. Around one in six of the projects in the £5.2 billion 2021-27 programme aims to better protect coastal communities.

In addition to the £5.2 billion flood and coastal defence programme, the Government is investing £200 million in the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCRIP) to support local places including coastal communities. This includes the £36 million coastal transition accelerators programme which will support communities in areas at significant risk of coastal erosion to transition and adapt to a changing climate.

The coastal transition accelerator programme will be a catalyst for strategic long-term planning, and test out innovative practical actions to support the coastal communities at risk from coastal erosion. East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk have been identified as the areas to lead off the programme, as they have proportionally the highest number of properties at risk from coastal erosion in England and are facing the greatest challenges from erosion and loss of coastline. Their experience and their learning will be shared nationally.

East Suffolk Council is leading a project as part of the Government’s FCRIP. This £8 million Resilient Coasts Project will work with affected coastal communities in four core locations across the East Suffolk and Great Yarmouth frontage. This will enable the people, economies and environment of the Great Yarmouth and Suffolk coastal frontages to live and work with a climate resilient coast.