£30 million boost for coastal communities adapting to eroding shores

Coastal communities across England are set to benefit from £30 million to battle eroding shores, the Environment Agency has announced today (28 January 2026).

Under the Environment Agency's new Coastal Adaptation Pilots, £18 million will be shared between coastal projects across the East Riding of Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk to continue advanced coastal adaptation work. These areas have been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to coastal transition and will help fund new long-term adaptation approaches.

This will include selective property purchases or long-term financing solutions in areas where homes face imminent risk from erosion, that could provide a sustainable model for managing coastal transition.

The new pilots build upon the £36 million Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme, which continues to support coastal authorities to trial new methods for managing erosion. This has helped residents and businesses move away from high-risk areas while sharing insights with other vulnerable communities.   

Environment Agency's Chair Alan Lovell said:

“England has some of the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, and climate change is accelerating these pressures.

“Through the Coastal Adaptation Pilots, we are supporting coastal communities to plan ahead and prepare for a safer and more resilient future.

“We are committed to sharing our learning across the country so that all coastal communities at risk can benefit from the climate adaptation actions being delivered in these areas.”

An additional £12 million will also be made available to Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs) to select projects that can deliver smaller scale adaptation readiness actions.

These projects will help communities take practical steps to prepare for coastal change, including moving community buildings away from at-risk areas, testing early warning systems that can alert residents to erosion events, and improving beach access and coastal tourism infrastructure.

The RFCCs and the Environment Agency will work with coastal authorities and communities to identify priority actions that can be delivered within the pilot period, building local expertise and capacity for future adaptation work.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

“Coastal erosion is one of the most challenging impacts of climate change, and we will always support our towns to adapt where the forces of nature make long-term defence impossible.

“This new government investment will help some of our most at-risk coastal areas take practical action now, while building the evidence we need to support coastal communities across the country in the decades ahead.”

England's coastline faces significant pressure, with sea levels projected to rise substantially over the coming decades. The Environment Agency's recent National Coastal Erosion Risk Map (NCERM) showed that around 20,000 properties could be at risk from coastal change by 2105.

The new pilots will require a 10% local funding contribution from participating areas. This aims to unlock over £3 million in additional investment and demonstrate how national and local resources can work together to address this growing challenge.

The Environment Agency will manage the pilots, which are due to start in April 2026. They will provide technical support to participating areas over the coming months and will ensure that learning is shared with other coastal communities facing similar pressures.

ENDS

• Notes to editors:

Please find below supportive quotes from the successful councils.

Carl Smith, Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader, said:

“Our borough, particularly at Hemsby, continues to see the devastating impact that coastal erosion has on the lives of our residents. The announcement of this additional funding to support continued innovative solutions around how we help communities adapt to our rapidly changing coastline is welcome recognition that coastal erosion is something that needs to be addressed urgently at a national level.”

Councillor Harry Blathwayt, Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Coast, said:

“I am delighted that the innovative work North Norfolk District Council has been doing through its Coastwise programme will continue thanks to this new funding. These are challenging times for coastal communities across the UK, but this investment will deliver a message of hope about the future. Coastwise has been instrumental in developing options to help communities adapt to coastal change, where erosion is a real and immediate threat. We are excited to share our experience with other places on the same journey.”

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, East Riding of Yorkshire cabinet member for heritage and coastal said:

“This is positive news for the East Riding, which contains one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe. We will continue to work with the government and residents to ensure the best outcomes for our area and ensure that coastal communities in our region can adapt and thrive.”

Councillor Caroline Topping, Leader of East Suffolk Council said:

“We are delighted that our ongoing efforts to support communities and deliver our place-based approach to coastal adaptation has been recognised. This much-needed, critical funding provides us with a greater opportunity to offer meaningful assistance to communities where properties are at risk in the short to medium term.

“Local residents have suffered greatly, and we want to do all we can to ensure that as many homeowners as possible do not have to go through this terrible experience.”