‘Erosion of trust’: Hull researchers back MPs’ call for better support for coastal communities

Drawing on extensive engagements with affected communities, a team led by Professor of Environmental Humanities Briony McDonagh offered evidence to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee on the deep social harms experienced by communities living with coastal erosion risk.

Their evidence recommended better coordination and collaboration across government and more meaningful engagement with affected communities to address the social, economic, and emotional impacts of erosion.

The report, Erosion of trust: the impact of coastal erosion on communities, published today, calls on the government to recognise the lived experiences of affected communities and ensure they have a meaningful role in shaping future decisions.

Coastal erosion represents a cross-government challenge, affecting housing, health, local growth, infrastructure, and community resilience, the report said.

Professor McDonagh said: “We welcome the committee’s focus on meaningful community participation in line with our recommendations.

“The risk of losing a home or business to the sea brings sustained mental and physical health impacts, alongside the stress of being uprooted from familiar places and social networks. But the effects aren't limited to those on the cliff edge.

“Retreating coastlines also negatively affect those not at immediate risk of losing homes or businesses, including in adjacent communities with defended frontages, where residents displaced by erosion may seek to relocate.”

Researchers from Hull worked with partners from the Coast-R Network on more than 1,400 engagements. The Coast-R Network+ brings together academics, UK marine, coastal and government agencies, industry partners, local authorities, the voluntary sector and communities most affected by coastal change.

Professor McDonagh said: “In our community workshops on the Holderness Coast, one recurring theme was how erosion had increasingly made beach access unsafe, reducing coastal amenity and impacting people's wellbeing.

“Coastal cultural heritage, sense of place, and local identities are likewise being eroded, affecting visitors as well as residents. Time and again, we heard how the UK's coastline plays a vital role in the lives of people who live many miles from the sea.”

National coastal erosion risk mapping shows 3,500 properties to be at risk by 2055 and 10,100 by 2105. These figures rise to 32,800 properties at risk by 2055 if appropriate measures are not taken.

East Riding of Yorkshire, North Norfolk, and Cornwall have the highest number of properties at risk. The loss of property is just one harm amongst many identified by the University of Hull team.

Evidence submitted by Professor McDonagh, on behalf of colleagues at the University of Hull and Coast-R Network on Resilient UK Coastal Communities and Seas recommended:

• Statutory shoreline management plans fully integrated into the planning process;
• Investment in proactive transition planning;
• Recognition of the broader impacts of coastal erosion, including on future ‘host’ communities for those displaced;
• Early and equitable engagements with communities most affected by coastal change;
• Enhanced cooperation between government, practitioners, universities and coastal communities.

The Coast-R Network have separately published their report on Coastal Change and Transition in the UK.