Scarborough Borough Council applies to be pathfinder authority for new Coastal Change Policy
15 September
As a result of lobbying and policy making on coastal adaptation,
Scarborough Borough Council is pleased to announce its role in the
government’s new Coastal Change Policy for England. The new policy
is aimed at developing plans to support communities that face risks
of coastal erosion and coastal flooding and will help communities
to be more resilient to the impacts of coastal change.
The government is inviting ideas for its Coastal Change Policy
and Scarborough Borough Council is applying to be a ‘pathfinder’
authority which will enable it to explore some of the ideas and
approaches set out in the consultation while building on its
experience of coastal management and working closely with
communities to plan for coastal change.
The consultation is looking for ways that communities can be
supported in the face of an eroding coast, if sea defences cannot
be justified. This might include taking a different approach to
development control, giving councils the power to buy at-risk
properties and lease them back to residents, giving people
practical help if they lose their homes, and maintaining
infrastructure that is vital for businesses and householders.
Pathfinder projects are expected to develop imaginative local
solutions to issues such as loss of investment, loss of confidence,
blight and environmental degradation which affect many of our
coastal settlements to varying degrees. The council will also
continue to campaign for long-term solutions by responding to the
consultation and demonstrating innovative schemes that can be
repeated elsewhere.
Stewart Rowe, Scarborough Borough Council’s Principal Coastal
Officer said:
“This initiative represents a step change in government policy
towards coastal management, recognising for the first time the
plight of coastal communities and their need for support in
confronting the changes which they face; this is of particular
relevance to the residents of Knipe Point.”
Councillor Andrew Backhouse, Scarborough Borough Council’s
Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport portfolio urges
people to respond to the government’s consultation paper,
saying:
“What happens to our coast, and to the communities on it,
affects the livelihood of the whole borough. We are working closely
with coastal communities in developing our projects and are anxious
to ensure that we have the support and respond appropriately to
local needs. We are also keen to find partners in delivering the
projects should we be successful in getting funding.”
It is important to note however that the council undertakes
these actions using its permissive powers as a Coast Protection
Authority, while the council has had no obligation to do so, it has
used these powers principally and specifically in the interest and
well being of residents.