Frequent Questions and Answers

What are coast protection authorities?
Coast protection authorities are those district, unitary and (some) county councils, in which any part adjoins the sea. There are 10 coast protection authorities in the Southwest of England.

Coast protection authorities are those district or county councils in which any part adjoins the sea. There are 16 coast protection authorities in the north west of Englnd & North Wales.

What is my Local Authority doing about coastal issues?
Every coast protection authority has to produce a 'policy statement' for flood and coastal defence outlining what their priorities are. These policy statements should be available to you either at your local council offices or on their web site. Shoreline Management Plans include recommendations for future works, studies and monitoring.

Some authority's also produce Shoreline Strategy Plans which provide more details of future proposals for specific lengths of coastline.

Copies of these documents may be obtained from local libraries or via your Local Authority.

What responsibilities do coastal authorities have?
Contrary to what you may believe, coast protection authorities do not have any obligations with regards flood and coastal defence works. Works undertaken are generally carried out under permissive powers. This means that the authority has 'powers' rather than 'duties' and will not be liable for the failure to exercise these powers. This is reflected in The Coast protection Act, 1949.

There is an exception though, which is the obligation to protect important habitats, under the European Union Habitats Directive.

Who is responsible for the coast?
This can be a little complicated.

In general terms the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for coastal policy and administration in England, whilst the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) has the same remit in Wales. The Environment Agency and Local Authorities have operational responsibilities.

The Environment Agency has operational responsibility for defending against flooding from the sea and for flood warnings as well as having a general supervisory responsibility over all matters relating to flood and coastal defence.

Local Authorities have operational powers relating to coast protection that is protecting against coastal erosion. Shoreline Management Plans set out the lenght of coast under the responsibility of each coast protection authority.

To summarise, coast protection authorities may carry out works in relation to coast erosion and encroachment by the sea within the areas for which they are responsible. These works are carried out under the supervision of the Environment Agency and are subject to funding constraints and guidance requirements imposed by DEFRA. The Environment Agency may withhold consent for any operation likely to have an adverse effect on flood defence.

Where defences are on private land, the landowner becomes responsible for their maintenance.

How long will the coast defences in my area last?
Every coast protection authority carries out inspections of their coast protection assets (coastal defences). The results of these surveys are fed into a database. Information obtained from these surveys includes the condition of the defences, including their residual life.

Each individual local authority should be able to inform you on the residual life of their defences and on any plans to replace them.

What is the difference between coast protection, coastal defence and flood (sea) defence?
Coast protection is concerned with preventing coastal erosion and encroachment by the sea – this is usually the remit of local authorities. Flood (sea) defence is concerned with preventing flooding by the sea – this is usually the remit of the Environment Agency.

Coastal defence is a generic term relating to coast protection and flood (sea) defences. e.g. A sea wall may be referred to as a coastal defence structure, but this term could relate to a wall being maintained by a local authority (as a coast protection defence) or could relate to another wall being maintained by the Environment Agency (as a flood defence).

How can I find out what the coastline will look like in the future?
Local Authorities are able to provide details of the predicted evolution of the coastline as well as what works may be planned. Some information on coastal evolution is contained within the Shoreline Management Plans.

A nationwide study known as Futurecoast has also  been completed, which looks at coastal morphology and (using a number of factors) predicts how the coast will change in the future. The Futurecoast study was commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was led by consultants Halcrow Group Ltd.

Your Local Authority should be able to provide additional information.

How fast does the coast erode?
Erosion rates vary depending on a number of factors such as geological material, wave climate, storminess & wind direction.

The coast not only erodes (loses material), it can also accrete (gains material).

The aim, generally, is to control the erosion in developed areas where people may be at risk.

Who pays for coast protection defences?
DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is the government department charged with acting on coast protection in England. In Wales, it is the National Assembly for Wales. New coast defence schemes are generally grant aided through central government. Coast protection authorities make up the remainder of the cost.

Am I at risk of flooding?
Flooding depends on several factors, such as tide heights, wind speed and direction, sea surges and storminess. However, some areas are more likely to flood due to their topography, i.e. being in a flood plain or low lying area. The Environment Agency give an indication of low lying areas and flood plains on their web site. You can find out about your area on the Environment Agency's web site by doing a search inputting your postcode.

What should I do if I am at risk?
If you live in a high-risk area, you can prepare your house by taking measures such as fitting flood boards & air brick covers and using foam sealants. Also make sure that you know how to turn power supplies off and that you do not keep valuables and irreplaceable items downstairs. There are a number of publications available which provide advice on how to best prepare in case of flooding, contact your local Environment Agency office or your local authority for how to get hold of these.

Are predictions of sea level rise taken into account in the design of sea defences?
Modern sea walls take into account predictions of sea level rise. When designing new sea walls the latest information relating to sea level rise is taken into account.

Do Local Authorities and the Environment Agency work together?
Yes, there are regional meetings between flood defence groups and the Environment Agency. Also, the Agency issues flood warnings to Local Authorities, so that local emergency procedures are initiated.