England’s Environment Agency Increases Coastal Erosion Assistance Maximum Grant
£10,000 per eligible home available to English local authorities supporting residents at highest erosion risk
The Environment Agency is administering and assuring the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant on behalf of Defra, with the level of funding available having increased from £6,000 to £10,000 per property.
The grant provides financial support to help with the demolition of homes at significant risk of coastal erosion. It is designed to prevent environmental harm by reducing the risk of building materials entering the sea or being deposited on beaches, while also helping to tackle dereliction and support homeowners and local authorities managing the immediate impacts of coastal erosion.
Local authorities in England can apply for the grant, including retrospectively, with up to £10,000 available for each eligible property. Authorities are responsible for assessing applications and determining allocations on a case-by-case basis. In exceptional circumstances, where there is strong supporting evidence, a local authority may submit a case for additional funding.
To qualify, properties must be non-mobile residential buildings that meet specific eligibility criteria. The property must be located within a coastal erosion risk zone identified on the National Coastal Erosion Risk Map, based on the present day to 2055 with the Shoreline Management Plan management approach delivered scenario. It must also have been purchased by the current owner before 15 June 2009, with demolition works taking place after this date. Demolition must be required by the local authority, and the property must not be eligible for demolition cost support through alternative sources, such as insurance.
Although the grant is primarily intended to support demolition costs, it can also contribute towards basic moving expenses where appropriate, particularly where the affected property is the owner’s only home. Eligible transitional costs may include redirecting post, reconnecting services, adapting furnishings and fittings, and removing household contents where no other financial support is available.
