Council urged to speed up work to prepare for sea level rise amid warning of ‘serious damage’ to Scarborough and Whitby
North Yorkshire Council has been told to prepare for a sea level rise of up to a metre by the end of the century amid concerns about effects on coastal towns.
The authority has been urged to speed up its work to prepare for the effects of climate change and rising sea levels which are predicted to particularly impact coastal areas including Scarborough and Whitby.
Coun David Jeffels said: “I’m very conscious that the sea level in Scarborough and Whitby is due to rise by just slightly over a metre by the end of this century.”
Speaking at a meeting of the authority’s Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee on Friday, November 29, he added: “I was at a conference in Leeds recently and some pretty frightening things are coming forward as a result of climate change.
“The point I want to make is that the development of both Whitby and Scarborough harbours is obviously important economically and environmentally because if we don’t invest we could see serious damage being caused to our foreshores.”
Chris Bourne, the council’s head of harbours and coastal infrastructure admitted that in the past “we could kick the can slightly down the road” but said that deadlines for action were coming up quickly.
Mr Bourne told the meeting: “Sea level rise is very important and you are absolutely right, there are predictions of a one-metre rise by the end of the century.
“I also have coastal policy and protection as part of my responsibilities[…] and we are working on a refresher of the Scarborough Coastal Strategy but that is a work in progress.
“It has done some coastal modelling looking at sea level rise across the whole of the Scarborough frontage from the Sea Life Centre right down to Holbeck – and that work will be coming forward very soon for consideration by members.”
Based on research at UK study sites in Yorkshire and Devon, Imperial College London has found that sea level rises will cause rock coast cliffs to retreat by at least 10-22m inland.
A study from 2022 found: “The rate of erosion is likely between three and seven times today’s rate and potentially up to tenfold.”
The prediction of a rise of about a meter in sea level by 2100 is supported by various expert bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UK’s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.
Mr Bourne, the head of coastal infrastructure, said there were “some interesting debates to be had about how we protect our coastal frontages, areas such as Foreshore Road and the area in front of the Spa – those questions will be coming back on the agenda as a part of this strategy.”
He added: “I’m pleased to say that we have attracted a lot of Environment Agency grant funding towards that project and all that coastal work is 100 per cent funded by the EA”