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Lincolnshire Coast Faces Future Flooding Threat
29 May
Summary
- New strategy suggests planned flooding and inland relocation.
- Existing defenses may become unreliable after 2040.
- Rebuilding flood defenses could cost up to £7 billion.
The Lincolnshire coast faces significant future threats from rising sea levels and climate change, prompting calls for robust protective measures. A new strategy, Lincs Coast 2100, suggests potentially controversial options such as allowing controlled flooding in certain areas and moving communities to higher ground. This approach aims to ensure resilience beyond the year 2100.
Council leaders stress the importance of safeguarding established communities and their economies, which contribute significantly to the UK's tourism sector. Current flood defenses, established after the 1953 floods, are predicted to be unreliable after 2040. The cost of rebuilding these defenses could escalate to as much as £7 billion, leading to consideration of 'wetland areas' as an alternative.
The government has committed over £600 million to sea and tidal flood protection in the past two years. However, the strategy highlights that existing defenses will not be sustainable beyond 2040, necessitating urgent action. These defenses currently protect numerous homes, residents, agricultural land, and caravans, with potential breaches risking inland flooding up to nine miles deep.
