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A Coastal and Marine All Party Parliamentary Group and Coastal Concern Action Group conference
Conference report, 6th July 2009
The Coastal Communities at Risk conference opened to a full house of over 70 delegates in the elegant
surroundings of the Institution of Civil Engineers Council Room. On the panel were the Minister for
flood and erosion management, Huw Irranca‐Davies, Norman Lamb MP (APPG Chair) and Graham Stuart
MP (APPG Vice‐Chair).
Norman Lamb MP, as chair of the Coastal and Marine All Party Parliamentary Group, set out the
background to the event by reference to issues within his North Norfolk constituency.
Brigitte Bass of the Defend Our Coast group in East Sussex described how stakeholders were isolated by
the SMP2 process. The group had worked hard over a number of years to have their voice heard and felt
ill‐equipped to participate in a very technical debate against people with specialist training and
organisations with budgets to pay for research and staff travel expenses etc.
She described the group’s frustration at the seeming priority given to the sea cabbage over coastal
communities!
Roland O’Brien of the Save our Selsey (SOS) group in West Sussex drew attention to the apparent
illogical situation of a Caravan Park generating £50m per annum for the local economy being halved in
size for the sake of a £10million sea defence. He described his group’s success in gaining local support
(1300 subscribers) and their campaign gaining two independent seats on the local council.
SOS is calling for a better balance between nature and community/economy in shoreline management,
the inclusion of rehousing costs in the benefit/cost calculations for scheme assessment, and a new
grievance procedure. A new proposal was a call for specific regeneration funding for communities with a
hold the line policy but no funding from the coastal defence budget.
Malcolm Kerby Coastal Concern Action Group, Norfolk) stressed that communities need more time to
understand, consider and respond to consultations: three months is not long enough to mobilise people
and get to grips with the issues. He reiterated that the various agencies concerned all actually work for
the stakeholder, the tax payer, which did not seem to be reflected in their approach. Finally, he drew
attention again to the fact that there is a compensation scheme for habitats but not for communities.
The Minister Huw Irranca‐Davies thanked the previous speakers and emphasised that government is
genuinely willing to engage and encouraged people to take part in consultations, “Its up to you”. He also
said that the government is committed to “protecting property on the coast where it is sustainable to do
so.”
He highlighted the present consultation on a coastal change policy, the recent consultation on
Development and Coastal Change the outcome of which will soon be published, and the call for
proposals for Pathfinder Projects to test new approaches to adaptation to coastal change. These
pathfinders will show what can be done to adapt, and government hopes to include projects testing
both big ideas, such as buy and lease‐back schemes, and smaller measures, such as maintaining
footpaths to retain coastal tourism.
Comments directed to the Minister included:
Nigel Newton (Rescue the Cuckmere Valley, East Sussex) suggested that consultations are a
sham.
Greg Guthrie (Royal Haskoning) suggested that 100% central funding was restricting flexibility at
the local level.
Rob Young (North Norfolk District Council) commented that planning is good for controlling new
development, but less so for existing and that a new mechanism was needed to support
adaptation.
Starting the second session of the event, Graham Stuart MP (Beverley and Holderness) talked of the
“huge disconnect” between those people in power and communities who feel they have very little
power. He proposed the consideration of National Flood Safety Standards in the UK, taking a lead from
the Dutch approach which he saw on a CoastNet‐organised visit to the Netherlands. He asked “ How can
we change the political dynamic, to make it easy for politicians to do the right thing and take a long term
view?”
Graham Stuart invited the audience to respond:
Peter Boggis (Suffolk) asked that quangos be answerable for their mistakes.
Chris Blunkell (Faversham) argued that the process should start with community rather than
tacking it [community consultation] on the end.
Amalia Fernandez‐Bilbao and Stuart Woodin (Scott Wilson Group) presented their recommendations to
Defra for CAPE (Community Action Planning and Engagement), produced under contract to Defra. This
approach proposes five principles which include social justice and support, open and honest
information, and community‐based partnerships. CAPE is published in the form of guidance for local
authorities and others.
Cllr. Clive Stockton of North Norfolk District Council, and representing the Local Government
Association, pointed out that local authorities have to work under very strict guidelines in relation to
shoreline management, which reduces local flexibility. He presented the view that ‘Adaptation’ should
not replace well thought out protection [against erosion], but it is an option where defences are
genuinely unsustainable. He outlined three approaches:
1. Planning: using positive tools, such as roll‐back policies and temporary uses
2. Buying time: SMPs may take a long‐term view, but the public interpretation of them produces a
sudden change in perception when they are published
3. Community engagement: working with the community to build local resilience.
Malcolm Kerby (CCAG, Happisburgh) described his efforts over a number of years to help other
community action groups to understand and influence the system and to argue their case. This resulted
in establishing the website ‘National Voice for Coastal Communities’ (http://www.nvcc.org.uk/) last year
as a common resource. He called for community action groups to take part in the new national Forum
that was to be initiated later that day and to work together to make their voices heard.
Alex Midlen (CoastNet) continued outlining some of the potential benefits of such a forum, including the
mutual support and sharing of experience amongst members and the existence of a national body for
Defra and other agencies to liaise with. He pointed out that communities have a right to understand
policy, and that a strong community body such as the proposed forum is good for democracy and good
for policy.
Final Discussion
Shaun Thomas (Natural England) acknowledged the negative comments about Natural England and
other agencies during the event, but countered that it was Natural England’s job to safeguard the
environment and wildlife and that it would not shirk from that task. However, NE too recognised the
lack of suitable tools to arrive at achievable solutions and felt that this was a point of common ground
with community action groups that should enable the opening of a constructive dialogue. He was
generally applauded for his statement. David Rooke (Environment Agency) concurred.
Norman Lamb MP (conference Chair) asked for a show of hands in favour of the Forum. Most approved,
but with the proviso that it should not take the place of local groups that could reflect a local view and
build on local opportunities.
Nigel Newton (Cuckmere Valley) commented that in criminal justice both sides have the right to finance
to develop and present their case. This is not the case for threatened communities and government
money should be available to enable local groups to also commission reports, attend meetings and so
on.
Robert Cauldwell (Regional Flood Defence Committee, Anglia Northern) commented that ‘community
engagement is a must’. It should be given time in the SMP process and adequate funding.
Bill Parker (Suffolk Coastal District Council) supported improved information for communities and
promoted the role of Coastal Partnerships in this regard.
Sarah Freemantle (Solent Protection Society) called for basic education for stakeholders and drew
attention to the value of the Ventnor coastal library in this regard
(http://www.iwight.com/learning/resources/coastal_visitors.asp ) .
A speaker from Atkins commented that community engagement is common sense, but that providing
open and honest information is often the hardest part of the process. She supported the Forum as a
mechanism for interpreting technical information for the community stakeholder.
Acknowledgements
The event was organised and managed by CoastNet (www.coastnet.org.uk) on behalf of the APPG and
CCAG.
The Institution of Civil Engineers assisted with provision of the venue and promotion of the event.
Community representatives attended at their own expense.