Almost £600 million worth of coastal homes in England could be lost to the sea by 2100, according to a climate action group. One Home identified 21 at-risk villages and hamlets and estimated how much coast could be lost there assuming that current policies on whether to defend, retreat or abandon sections of coastline are followed.
They used data from the Environment Agency’s National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping (NCERM) dataset at 5% confidence, indicating a less than 5% chance of the coast being eroded further inland than the estimate. Policies on whether to defend, retreat or abandon sections of coast are contained in shoreline management plans (SMPs), developed by coastal groups with members mainly from local councils and the Environment Agency.
The value of property damage, on the land that could be hit by coastal erosion by 2100, was estimated at £584 million using average local authority values or site-specific values from Rightmove, One Home said. The group has compiled a map highlighting what shoreline management plans are in place in different areas of coast, and what the level of protection is.
