Hundreds of coastal homes worth almost £600m set to disappear into the sea

Climate action group One Home identified 21 at-risk villages and hamlets and estimated how much coast could be lost there assuming that current policies on whether to defend, retreat or abandon sections of coastline are followed.

The value of property damages, on land that could be hit by coastal erosion by 2100, was estimated at £584 million using average local authority values or site-specific values from Rightmove, One Home said.

Holderness is Europe's fastest eroding coastline and since the Roman era, 30 or so settlements are believed to have been washed away.

Some 31 miles (50km) of coastline is made up of undefended boulder clay cliffs, with average erosion rates in the worst affected stretch between Withernsea and Hollym of nearly 13 feet (four metres) a year.

It is forecast that 190 homes could be lost to sea in East Yorkshire by 2105, with 18 coming under threat by 2025.

Policies on whether to defend, retreat or abandon sections of coast are contained in shoreline management plans (SMPs), developed by coastal groups with members mainly from local councils and the Environment Agency.

Vast swathes of Holderness, outside the built-up areas of Bridlington, Withernsea and Hornsea, have been left undefended for decades as a result of a "do nothing" policy, agreed by successive Governments.

Coastal defences are judged "not economically, socially or environmentally sustainable" for much of the sparsely inhabited area.

Other areas which stand to lose the most homes include Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, Essex, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Northumberland, Norfolk and Sussex.

One Home has created a map so people can see whether their properties will be protected or not.

Angela Terry, chief executive of One Home, said: “Sea levels are rising as global temperatures soar and so larger waves batter our coast during severe storms.

“These irreversible changes mean some cliff faces are crumbling fast.

“We can’t turn the tide or build a wall around the entire coast so we urgently need to help seaside communities to prepare for the damage that will come.

“Shoreline management plans are publicly available documents but most people are unaware of their existence.

“Many homeowners don’t know their properties are at risk or that decisions have been made about whether to protect them or not.

“SMPs are not statutory, so new developments can continue.

“Funding is not guaranteed so even where communities have been chosen to be saved, the money might not be there, giving people false hope that their home will be protected long-term.

“One Home’s aim with this map is to explain SMPs in an easy-to-digest way so that homeowners are sufficiently informed to make timely decisions about their properties to reduce future harm.

“Currently, for those homes at risk, there is no compensation scheme available.

“Owners might be asked to pay to demolish their homes while still paying their mortgage.”

To see One Home’s map, visit: https://onehome.org.uk/campaign/campaigns/coast/interactive-map/