RPARisk & Policy Analysts

Wolferton Creek to South Hunstanton andScratby and California Pathfinders

Teresa Fenn

Risk & Policy Analysts

RPA

Acknowledgements

Our approach has been built around views and feedback from key stakeholders and local communities:

– Key Stakeholder/Management Group– Scratby Coastal Erosion Group (SCEG)– Workshop attendees– Drop-in sessions– People who have responded to newsletter

articles and questionnaires

Also had a lot of support, advice, information, guidance and comments from BCKLWN and GYBC

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Two Very Different Projects…

No rock berm

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Two Very Different Projects…

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Two Very Different Projects…

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Two Very Different Projects…

Scratby and California

Coastal erosion

Looking at adaptation in case there is no money for extension of rock berm and in long-term

Wolferton Creek to South Hunstanton

Coastal flooding

Securing contributions to continue maintaining defences

RPA

…with Commonalities

Both faced with obstacles and unknowns, especially:

– money– awareness of risks– what local communities want

Need to identify options to enable the communities and businesses at risk to continue

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Finding Funding

Need money whether you are providing defences or adapting

Defences in short-term may cost less…

…adaptation has to be long-term solution to reduce future risks but with help for those that need it

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What do the Communities want?

Defences…and many think Government should pay

– up to 78% in Scratby– 34% suggested Government in Wolferton

Creek to South Hunstanton

Not to have to move– people wanted to contribute to defences

rather than have to adapt– Scratby people preferred options that allowed

them to stay in their properties

Not to feel victimised (by lines on map, having to pay for what others get for free)

…but were willing to talk about contributions, adaptation and to look at long-term solutions

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How Much Money do We Need?

What could come from central Government…

Payments for outcomes…not much

Wolferton Creek to South Hunstanton:– up to £97,000 per year – 12% of annual costs (£800,000 per year)

Scratby and California:– around £3 million– …but adaptation options start at around

£8 million…and go up to £50 million

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What Can be Raised Locally?

What is local?

Just those who are affected?– Should just those affected pay, or should they

pay a bit more (a surcharge?)– Contributions through parish precepts - not

preferred…and could extend beyond direct beneficiaries

– ‘Shoreline Drainage Board’ – whose members are the direct beneficiaries

Those who may benefit indirectly?– Contributions from across the Borough– …but those who are paying may also want to

benefit, increasing the costs?

Wider: County? National?

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What Might Communities be Willing to Pay?

Wolferton Creek to South Hunstanton:– Overall (80): £33 per household per year– Questionnaires (52): £41 per year– Drop-in session (9): £31 per household per year– Newsletters (19): £14 per household per year

Scratby (per household per year):– To help fund purchase of properties (129): £9– To pay for ‘property swap’ (118): £5– To help pay for buy and rent back (96): £5– To help cover maintenance costs (112): £8

…but this is willingness to pay of direct beneficiaries or the affected communities

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How Much Might They Have to Pay?

By Income Paid to Borough Council Contribution

Below 5m Above 5m

Residents: per Band D property

£4 £2

Businesses: % of Business Rates

2.9% 1.5%

Utilities: per installation

£740 £370

Transport: per organisation responsible

£460 -

Landowners: per ha of farmed land

£0.72 £0.36

Borough-wide

Wolferton Creek to Hunstanton Scratby and California

Borough-wide

Option Cost (per

household per year)

Purchase properties

£7 to £12

Property swap £12

Buy and rent back

£2 to £5

Help with maintenance

£3 to £11

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What Do Businesses Want?

Very little response, to either project

Some caravan parks willing to contribute

Others not affected by previous flooding, less sure they could pass costs on

Awareness is being increased…

Chamber of Trade comments based on affordability for retail sector

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What Can We Deliver?

Mechanism for securing contributions:– Regional Flood and Coastal Committee:

• allocation of GiA• raising local levy

– Council Tax/Parish Precept:• but concerns over capping• use of Council Tax to procure others

– Business Improvement Districts:• single sector business or Tourism BID

– …Shoreline Drainage Board:• but potential issue with legislation

Adaptation:– Planning policies (Coastal Change Management Area,

enables rollback)– Change to housing policy (safety net)– Hard to do more without funding to pump-prime options

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What Needs to Change?

Attitudes and awareness of risk:– low turnout at drop-in sessions– 12 at Heacham (in snow!)– 9 to workshop for those living in most at-

risk properties at Scratby

Need to improve consistency of understanding:– Scratby: some people far back from the

cliff top were concerned about their properties

– Scratby: confusion over SMP and what it was showing

– Heacham/Hunstanton: 19 replies to newsletters…but still ‘theoretical’?

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What Needs to Change?

Localism Bill:– Council Tax – referenda? capping?– Parish precepts – not transparent enough?

Contributions:– EA policy – support where some money comes from local

sources– RFCCs – allocation of GiA– Defra payments – too open to interpretation and yet too

restrictive

Other options:– New Homes Bonus – too focused on additional homes?– Housing Associations – restricted, e.g. by Decent Homes

Standard– Planning Gain – but limited by community views on additional

development– Community Interest Company – needs local people to come

together to manage…but still needs funding

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Recommendations

For Local Authorities:– ongoing two-way communications plan (businesses, community,

landowners)– Coastal Change Management Area and associated policies– potential for small-scale planning gain (linked to New Homes

Bonus?)– change to social housing policy to help those affected by coastal

change

Local MP:– Influence Defra payments for outcomes to help ensure they

cover adaptation options– Potential for funding not allocated to defences to be used to help

pay for adaptation

General:– Where do you draw the line between who pays and who does

not, or who pays a surcharge and who does not?– If collecting a flood levy locally, how do you make it transparent

and accountable?

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Project Achievements

Both were community-led projects– opportunities for everyone to be involved– decisions proposed and agreed by the community

Scratby:– door-to-door canvass and questionnaire delivery

produced good response rates– development of CCMA through concept statement,

agreed by community– development of future Community Development Plan– allayed concerns of many residents about coastal change

Wolferton Creek to South Hunstanton:– consensus that local contributions are an appropriate way

to help fund coastal defences– stakeholder agreement on acceptable approach– raised awareness of issue of future funding…and of the

risks

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Any questions?

RPA Farthing Green House, 1 Beccles Road, Loddon, Norfolk, NR14 6LT

Tel: 01508 528465 Email: teresa.fenn@rpaltd.co.uk