Flood defences 'too expensive'

Steve Punter
The Politics Show
South East

Government agencies are 'pulling the plug' on flood defences

Many a school child has been on a field trip to Cuckmere Haven with its meandering river and ox bow lakes and iconic Seven Sisters cliff formation.

Or perhaps you have seen the area made famous in the Oscar nominated film Atonement or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Maybe you are one of the 350,000 people who visit every year.

It is a picture postcard setting but government agencies are 'pulling the plug' on the area's flood defences.

The sea will be allowed to encroach and the river left to meander more freely.

Not worth the expense

Keeping out the sea has been costed by the Environment Agency at £18m spread over the next half century. And as few people live here full time it is concluded it is not worth the expense.

And environmental experts say the science supports its case and they claim wildlife may actually prosper when the land returns to salt marsh.

wildlife may actually prosper when the land returns to salt marsh

Jon Curson is the Coastal Policy and Ecology Advisor for Natural England. He agrees there is a wildlife and conservation benefit to stopping the funding.

At the moment, he says, the River Cuckmere runs to the sea with fake banks.

But if it was more natural, a salt marsh would be created and the new habitat would bring greater eco diversity.

Meanwhile, locals are not happy and campaigners say several species will be killed off as the landscape is altered with shoreline cottages falling into the sea.

So who decides what our coastline should look like? Local people or organisations with headquarters in London.

Sinking coastlines

Our region has approximately 400 miles of coastline, including famous landmarks like the White cliffs of Dover and Beachy head, only Cornwall has more.

There are also more properties at significant risk of flooding here than anywhere else in the country. So how to keep the sea from encroaching is a vital concern.

The 'post ice-age tilt' is causing the region to slowly sink into the sea

Earlier this month Durham University published detailed research into something called the 'post ice-age tilt', which charts the way the UK's coastline responds to ice melting.

Put simply this means Scotland is slowly rising and in the south east we are slowly sinking into the sea.

And at the same time sea levels are rising which also increases the risk of flooding across Kent and East Sussex.

Dr Neil Wells works at the world renowned National Oceanography centre, based in Southampton.

He and his colleagues estimate water levels in the South East are rising about 1.2- 2mm a year.

Severe flooding

That might seem like a small amount, but over a century this substantially increases the risk of flooding during storms, unless there are corresponding upgrades to flood defences.

In 1900, severe flooding would happen every 100 years, now it averages once every 10-25 years.

For Betty Abbott her interest in flood defences is more than just academic. She is the granddaughter of the last coastguard to have lived in one of the seaside cottages.

It has been in the family since the 1920s. And she hates the thought that one day it might fall into the sea.

What do you think?

Contact the team via the e-mail form below...

You can text the team on 07786 209252 during the show.