Aggregate Industries analyse true cost of coastal erosion

Company launches significant report in attempt to work out the true cost of coastal erosion to the UK

A NEW in-depth report published by Aggregate Industries has attempted to answer what the true cost of coastal erosion is going to be to the nation.

Data show that sea levels are expected to rise by a further metre by 2100, a figure that puts more than a quarter of the UK’s flood-defence structures at risk of failure.

Aggregate Industries’ latest report analyses the current geological and geomorphological factors, the human and economic impact of coastal erosion, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and the current legal and regulatory framework.

Research for the report has shown that the following will be at risk of flooding by 2100:

• 1.35 million properties

• 1,600km of major roads

• 550ha of higher-quality agricultural land

• 650km of railway line

• 92 railway stations

• 55 historic landfill sites

• Six heritage sites.

The estimated cost of coastal erosion to the UK, previously put at £12 billion, is largely attributed to the degradation of natural coastal defences such as salt marshes and seagrass beds, of which the UK has already lost significant portions in the last century.

The economic impact is equivalent to more than the UK Government’s annual spending on police, fire services, and law courts.

Commenting in the report, Lee Sleight, managing director of Aggregate Industries’ Aggregates division, says: ‘In the face of the relentless and escalating threat of coastal erosion, we stand at a critical juncture where the silent force of the seas is reshaping the very fabric of our nation.

‘The disheartening reality is that land, present merely 50 years ago, has vanished, and the forecasted rise in sea levels by a metre over the next century paints a dire picture.

‘While the Government’s commendable commitment of £5.2 billion aims to protect vulnerable locations, the enormity of the challenge demands more. As we confront this unprecedented crisis, our collective responsibility is not merely to adapt, but to innovate, fortify, and safeguard the resilience of our coastlines for generations to come.

‘In 2019, it was estimated that the coastal erosion was going to cost the UK economy £12 billion. As a result of this research and this report, we put it far higher.’

To read the full True Cost of Coastal Erosion to the UK, click here.