Scheme to strengthen North Eastern coastlines against erosion

A new scheme, set up by South Tyneside Council, will protect coastlines in the North East against flooding, erosion and the impacts of the climate crisis.

The project will explore how nature can be used to restore coastal health, develop and test new approaches and build resilience to flooding and the climate crisis.

£6.9m of funding has come from the Stronger Shores initiative, while £150m has been secured from Defra through the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme.

Stronger Shores, which is set to launch this spring, will be the first project to provide clear data and evidence on the costs and benefits of marine nature-based solutions.

Cllr Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Transport and Neighbourhoods at South Tyneside Council and Chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) Coastal Special Interest Group (SIG), said: ‘Our coastline is one of our greatest treasures but, over the years, important natural habitats have been lost. Many areas are threatened by flooding, erosion and storms and climate change will only make this worse.

‘If we do nothing, habitats, man-made coastal defences and communities could all suffer. That’s why we’re proud to have secured this funding for Stronger Shores, which will allow us to turn to the hidden habitats below the waves for an affordable, long-term solution.’

Plans for the project involve investigating how natural solutions, such as seagrass meadows, kelp forests and oyster reefs, can offer protection against rising sea levels and environmental pressures.

Sand dunes and saltmarshes can offer protection but are at threat themselves, while man-made coastal protections are often expensive and need replacing regularly.

Experts from Stronger Shores will test the different methods to learn how nature-based solutions can benefit North East communities, with support from a variety of organisations including Newcastle University, University of Plymouth, and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

It’s thought they could improve water quality, reduce erosion, stabilise shorelines, reduce wave impacts, create habitats for wildlife, improve fisheries and create recreational areas for communities.

Clare Fitzsimmons, Professor of Marine Ecosystems and Governance, from Newcastle University, said: ‘We are very excited to be working with Stronger Shores in the delivery of ground-breaking, interdisciplinary research to determine the roles of natural and restored kelp, seagrass and oyster beds in protecting our coasts. We will pilot restoration of key habitats testing new techniques to support recovery, while making sure our innovative measurement and monitoring methods can identify the most effective solutions. Then, working with University of Plymouth, we can identify critical links between ecological outcomes and benefits for society, filling significant knowledge gaps and testing a robust framework for future projects to follow.’

Photo provided by Newcastle University