Road to nowhere on Yorkshire’s disappearing coastline

At least one of the houses on Green Lane, Skipsea, in the background, is now said to be dangerously close to the sea.

The road in front of the houses has long since been swallowed up – and the gardens are going the same way.

Senior coastal engineer at East Riding Council Neil McLachlan said: “It is an area we are monitoring very closely. We go there every month now measuring the coastal erosion rate because it is getting so close to the houses.

“We are working very closely with the ‘Pathfinder’ team, looking when we have to relocate these people.”

The Defra-funded Pathfinder scheme offers a number of options, including the council picking up demolition costs and relocating people, usually to a council property.

East Riding Council says it has offered everyone support on Green Lane and to date two have taken up the relocation offer.

It is currently analysing the results of its latest survey of the 52-mile stretch of coastline between Spurn Point and Bempton.

It shows more than usual loss in several areas over the summer.

Mr McLachlan said there was a “glimmer of truth” in suggestions that the record wet weather over the summer has hastened erosion, but added: “The cliffs will be saturated and possibly more likely to fall but the main cause is wave action on the cliffs.

“Normally we don’t lose very much over the summer – whether it’s down to rainfall, or sea action, or global warming I wouldn’t like to say.”

Average rate of loss is 1.5m to 2.5m but chunks up to 10m have been known to fall in one go. The results of the September survey will be made available via www.eastriding.gov.uk/coastalexplorer.