National Trust: 16% of protected coastal habitat could be lost to erosion

Paul Eccleston
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 13/10/2008

They are the breathtaking landscapes and historic buildings which help define the south-west coast of England.

The familiar, rugged coastlines, cliffs and beaches of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset are quintessentially English.
St Michael's Mount is of historic importance, but its harbour and causeway are at high risk from flooding
Ancient cliff top houses, pathways and sheltered harbours all provide clues to a rich maritime history.
But the National Trust, responsible for the care of special places across the country, warns many of its sites in the south-west are now at risk from sea level rise, flooding and erosion brought by climate change.
In a new report the Trust says 279 kilometres of coastline - more than 170 miles - could be affected by erosion, and 852 hectares of coastal sites are at risk of tidal flooding.
On NT land alone about 16 per cent of protected coastal habitat - Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - could be lost to erosion or be changed irrevocably by flooding.

They include the internationally important lagoon on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour - one of the views from the so-called Millionaires Row at nearby Sandbanks,
The report, Shifting shores in the South West, also identifies at least 142 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 111 listed buildings and one historic garden within the risk zone.
It builds on a 2005 report into the long-term future of the coastline and the steps that need to be taken now to limit the damage flooding, higher seas and more frequent and ferocious storms will inflict.
The update identifies four areas where the impact will be greatest:
Wildlife: New large-scale habitats will have to be found to make up for the areas that will be lost to the sea.
Historic environment: Working out timescales for threatened historic buildings and ancient monuments
Economic costs: 10 per cent of NT properties such as cottages and farms which generate £1.3m annually are in vulnerable coastal locations in Devon and Cornwall.
Public access: 100 miles of public rights of way are or will be affected by coastal erosion and flooding - including the South West Coast Path.
Phil Dyke, coastal and marine adviser at the NT, said: "Our coast is changing, even in areas such as the south west where the perception of the coast is that the hard rock might offer us some protection.

"But we know from our research that some of the National Trust's coastline in the south west is either soft rock so vulnerable to erosion, or low-lying so vulnerable to flooding.
"The kinds of impacts that the National Trust is experiencing will be the same across much of the UK. But we need to look ahead and not just to the immediate future. In Shifting Shores we are considering what could happen in 20, 50 or 100 years time."
The NT's plan for managing the coast includes raising public awareness, simplifying decision making among different agencies, moving with the coast and the forces of nature and finding better ways of funding insurance and compensation schemes for to vulnerable communities.
Some of the best known sites at risk:
Westbury Court Garden is close to the River Severn in Gloucestershire, and is a rare and beautiful example of a Dutch Water Garden, dating back to the late 17th century. Due to its location, it faces a very real threat from flooding and sea water inundation.
Greenway, Agatha Christie's summer home, the boathouse featured in 'Dead Man's Folly', will be monitored for increased flooding and the consequent impact on access to the first floor. The building may have to be abandoned within 15 years.
Brownsea Island, an internationally important lagoon, provides a special habitat for many species of over-wintering and migrating birds. If sea levels continue to rise the lagoon could, at some point in the future, become inundated with sea water which would lead to the loss of this significant habitat.
St Michael's Mount is of significant historic and economic importance to Cornwall, but its location means its harbour and causeway are at high risk from flooding.