Drone to Fight Coastal Erosion on Yorkshire Coast

North Yorkshire Council has submitted a £75,000 funding application to the Environment Agency to deploy a drone for monitoring coastal erosion. This initiative, part of a government-funded scheme, aims to enhance the evidence base for coastal adaptation and evacuation planning across complex cliff zones.

If approved, the funding will cover the drone's purchase, associated licencing, data, software, and training for three officers. This advanced drone technology, equipped with laser-mapping capabilities, is intended to overcome limitations of current biennial monitoring, which often suffers from infrequent capture and data delivery delays, particularly in areas with dense vegetation.

Several communities, including Flat Cliffs in Filey, face significant risks to residential property, access routes, and essential infrastructure. The council's shoreline management policy for these sites is 'no active intervention,' making effective monitoring of cliff instability crucial for adaptation planning and early warning systems.