Crumbling coasts to get £30m boost
£18m will be spent in East Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk, with the rest going to other erosion hit communities across England
Coastal communities across England facing eroding shores are set to receive a share of £30 million in funding to tackle the growing threat.
The Environment Agency said the money will support areas most at-risk to adapt to climate change as impacts such as rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms accelerate coastal erosion across the country.
Under the watchdog's new "coastal adaptation pilots", communities in East Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk will be handed a share of £18 million to continue investment in advanced coastal adaptation work.
This involves measures such as local authorities or government agencies buying properties at high risk of falling into the sea - known as selective property purchase or long term financing solutions.
The hope is that these initiatives could provide a sustainable model for managing changing coastlines in the coming decades.
The remaining £12 million will be made available to regional flood and coastal committees (RFCCs) for small-scale local projects across the country, such as improving beach access and tourism infrastructure, testing early warning systems for residents and moving community buildings away from at-risk areas.
Alan Lovell, chairman of the Environment Agency, said: "England has some of the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, and climate change is accelerating these pressures.
"Through the Coastal Adaptation Pilots, we are supporting coastal communities to plan ahead and prepare for a safer and more resilient future.
"We are committed to sharing our learning across the country so that all coastal communities at risk can benefit from the climate adaptation actions being delivered in these areas."
Floods minister Emma Hardy said: "Coastal erosion is one of the most challenging impacts of climate change, and we will always support our towns to adapt where the forces of nature make long-term defence impossible.
"This new government investment will help some of our most at-risk coastal areas take practical action now, while building the evidence we need to support coastal communities across the country in the decades ahead."
The funding builds on the £36 million coastal transition accelerator programme, which supports authorities to trial new methods for managing erosion.
The Environment Agency said it will manage the pilots, which are due to start in April 2026, providing technical support and ensuring learnings are shared with other vulnerable communities.
The pilot projects will also require a local funding contribution from participating areas of 10%, with officials hoping it can unlock £3 million in additional investment.
England's coastline is already coming under increasing pressure, with the Environment Agency's recent national coast erosion risk map showing around 20,000 properties could be at risk by 2105.