Options for the future of county's coast laid out

Four visions for the future of Lincolnshire's coastline have been outlined amid predictions that up to 85% of the defences along the county's coast could be ineffective by 2040.

They range from completely renewing the defences, to part-renewing them, to doing nothing and letting nature take its course.

In a meeting with councillors, Chris Miller, Lincolnshire County Council's head of environment, said the coast was facing pressure from "ageing assets, rising sea levels, intensification of storms and limitations of funding".

The council, the Environment Agency and other bodies are working to build a case for huge government investment along the coast.

He added: "We simply cannot just retain the status quo. Every scenario requires significant transformation."

The worst-case scenario, in which none of the defences is renewed, would lead to "chaotic decline", Miller said.

Councillors representing coastal communities were against that particular scenario at last Friday's meeting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Adrian Findley said: "I will never support a bid that surrenders land of Lincolnshire to the sea."

The meeting also heard about the best-case scenario – new defences for the full stretch of coast – but Miller said that would also come at a cost.

The seaside locations are currently maintained by loading offshore sand on to beaches, which costs the government £15m a year.

Miller warned that with new sea defences in place, the coast would be "highly unlikely to retain the beach" unless it was financed in some other way.

Council member Cain Parkinson said: "If there's no beach in Mablethorpe or Skegness, the tourism value disappears quite significantly.

"We will see more deprivation in already deprived areas from the loss of tourism – that's something we need to be prepared for."

Miller said the two other options would see various levels of "realignment" – effectively redrawing where the sea ends and the land begins.

Paul Wimhurst described that scenario as "the complete decimation of our coastline".

The partnership hopes to draw up a masterplan for new defences by 2028, and secure government funding by 2036.

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