Sussex in the sea

Controversially the charity has concluded some are impossible to save. Roz Tappenden takes a look at the changing shoreline.

The battle between the land and sea has raged for millions of years but it seems the English Channel may have won its latest round against part of the Sussex coastline.

Coastal erosion will have a major impact on some of the county’s top beauty spots, according to a National Trust report. One of the most vulnerable areas is Birling Gap, near Beachy Head, which is owned by the trust.

The cliffs are eroding, on average, by one metre a year but instead of gradual loss, there are years when nothing happens, then several metres will fall at once.

The charity, which bought and demolished one of the cliff-edge cottages in 2002, says it will allow the coastline to evolve naturally, which could ultimately spell the demise of the hotel and houses which nestle in the valley.

The decision followed a public inquiry in 2000 which concluded nothing could be done to extend the lifespan of the buildings.

Richard Worsell, who used to live next door to the demolished house, sold his home three years ago and moved to nearby Friston.

He said: “It was costing too much to stay there. We lost the roof three times and you can’t get insurance down there because of the subsidence.

“We’ve not had a landslip for seven or eight years now though because the beach build-up stops the sea hitting the cliffs.”

Howard Collins, of the Birling Gap Hotel, said: “It’s an ongoing battle really.

“It’s something which goes back nearly ten years when we were trying to get support to protect the cliffs.

“They are going to let nature take its course – managed retreat I think they call it – but nothing has changed in our view. It is sad but true.

“We go a number of years when nothing changes but when you get a bad winter, a lot of cliff falls away at once.”

Plans to flood Cuckmere Haven, just west of Birling Gap, have been met with opposition. The Environment Agency announced in April it would allow the valley to flood because it was no longer viable to hold back the marching tides.

Des Abbott, who owns a cottage on the headland, fears the proposals could put his and other neighbouring properties at risk, while others believe it may cost the area thousands of pounds in lost tourism.

National Trust area manager Jonathan Light said: “We would prefer to see a managed realignment scheme for the estuary, which we believe could both mitigate access issues and bring biodiversity benefits.

“Given that the estuary is an iconic, much-loved landscape and that the proposal raises national issues of sea-level rise, flooding and tourism, we feel it is important that any scheme is developed in partnership with local communities, agencies and landowners in order to build local understanding and support, and take account of legitimate concerns.”

A major scheme to replenish sand at East Head, the spit of land enclosing Chichester Harbour, is due to begin in the next few months because existing wooden sea defences are not expected to last more than five years.

The new approach aims to work with nature.

National Trust coastal warden Andrew Lawrence said: “The breast work is starting to wear out and the Environment Agency have very little money to repair it, so we have come up with an approach that will work with nature rather than against it.”

Many more sites continue to be under threat from the tide. Seaford Head Golf Course, which is owned by Seaford Town Council, is perched on the cliff top and plans have already been drawn up to move the 17th hole in the event of further erosion.

Town council clerk Len Fisher said: “We are responsible for the golf course and we are mindful that part of it runs along the cliff, although the green is still 30 metres away from the edge. Having said that, cliffs do not collapse in a uniform manner so we have got a plan B, which is to change the configuration of the 17th hole and put it further back in land, which would cost between £15,000 and £20,000.

“Seaford lifeguards check the cliffs from the sea. The most difficult time is the winter when the ground gets saturated and the frost can cause sections to break away.

“Whatever happens, the cliffs won’t get any wider, they will only get narrower.”

Environment Agency deputy chairman Ted Candle said: “The funding available for management of flooding and coastal erosion is rising from £650 million in 2008-09 to £800 million in 2010-11. Far from accepting defeat, we are taking a strategic approach to ensuring we can secure as much of the coastline as possible for the next 100 years.

“Our coastline is and always has been a dynamic environment. Beaches and cliffs are changing as a result of geological processes and sea-level rise, now exacerbated by climate change.

“Approaches to the management of the coast and our coastal communities need to adapt to these changes.”