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Warning over rising costs if beach is not protected

BBC Bright blue sky above sand dunes peppered with mahram grass and a shingle beach at Heacham in NorfolkBBC
The shingle bank at Heacham protects homes and businesses from the sea

A stretch of west Norfolk coastline is holding up against erosion but costs of protecting the beach in the future could be unviable, it has been warned.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it cost £100,000 every year for beach recycling to protect the coast between Snettisham and Heacham.

Beach recycling involves taking sand locally and redistributing it elsewhere to build up natural defences, like the shingle bank at Heacham.

But the EA warned in its report that if sand needed to be brought in from further away and in larger quantities, such a measure would cost around £7m and would be deemed too expensive.

Woman wearing a black t shirt and trousers standing on a coarse sandy beach on a lovely sunny day. Over her right sholder are some beachside properties and her left someone has set up a blue wind break with a striped blue sun umbrella
Sadia Moeed from the EA says beach recycling has been "really effective"

Sadia Moeed, EA director for Norfolk, said: "Every year when we move sand around on the beach to where it's needed most, it's doing the job."

But she warned another more radical measure might soon be too expensive.

"Twenty years ago we did a thing called a beach recharge where we bring new sand and shingle from elsewhere to replenish material lost to the sea. That might not be affordable if we need to do it in the future.

“Following this report, it is more important than ever that residents help to protect the ridge to ensure it lasts as long as possible."

A man in a navy suit, no tie, stands on a golden sandy beach with his arms behind his back.
Dave Robson says the council has time to plan for the beach's future

The report and its warning will be considered by King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council and the wider Wash East Coast Management Stakeholder Group.

The cost of work to maintain and protect the beaches is split between central government and the local council.

Dave Robson, environmental health manager for the council, said the authority had time to plan for the future to ensure the beach continues to be protected.

An EA spokesperson added: “The beach recycling costs in the region of £100,000 each year, the actual cost will vary slightly each year.

“Based on the quotes received, we estimate the cost to do a beach recharge to be around £7m, or higher if it were to be needed in future. We are committed to working with the local community on alternative solutions going forward.”

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