pathfinder

Opinions of Scratby residents sought as Borough Council secures national coastal change project funding.

Residents in Scratby are set to be pioneers for a national project, after Great Yarmouth Borough Council secured Government funding to examine how coastal communities can best adapt to the effects of the ever changing coastline. The council has been awarded £296,000 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a one year Coastal Pathfinder Project – one of fifteen taking place across the country – with results being fed back for Government consideration.

The council will be writing to all Scratby addresses over the coming weeks - seeking participation from local people and businesses in helping to produce a future long term plan that will take account of the needs of those people living and working along the coast.

Scratby already has a strong residents forum when it comes to coastal erosion, in the form of the Scratby Coastal Erosion Group - who have consistently lobbied both national Government and the other agencies responsible for coast protection. The Erosion Group’s key objective remains to persuade the Government that the existing rock berm along the foot of the cliffs at California needs to be extended a further kilometre north to protect the base of the cliff and marrams at Scratby.

Whilst the conditions of the Coastal Pathfinder Project mean that the funding cannot be spent on physical coastal protection measures, the council hopes to further empower the community to explore a number of other measures that could allow the area to adapt to coastal erosion over the coming hundred years.

The issues that will be given particular attention through the project are likely to include:

The development of a coastal Area Action Plan, in line with the proposed Development and Coastal Change Policy.

Equity release and equity transfer schemes and opportunities, such as purchase/rent-back, property exchange programmes and business support programmes.

‘Rollback’ options and infrastructure implications – a concept where businesses or dwellings physically move further inland away from the threat of coastal erosion.

Sources of external and commercial funding that may be accessible.

Community education and information to engage, inform, re-assure and support communities and individuals in coming to terms with coastal change.

A wide range of agencies will be involved, ranging from planning and property experts from the Borough Council, through to those involved with economic development and tourism, to services such as electricity, sewerage and water supplies.

Councillor Jim Shrimplin, Chairman of the Pathfinder Management Group, said:

“This will be a really interesting project, which I have no doubt there will be a lot of local interest in. For some in Scratby, coastal erosion is an immediate issue, but for others, whilst they will of course be aware of local concern, it may not affect their property within their lifetime. The money has been granted on the basis that it cannot be used for installing physical coastal protection measures, and many residents will of course continue to lobby the Government for these, but this project aims to look at what other medium to long term measures the community feel would be beneficial for the area over, say, the coming century.

John Hemsworth. Project Officer