Climate change: surrender a slab of Norfolk, say conservationists

[Sweetpea]

A big section of the Norfolk Broads as well as a cluster of villages and thousands of acres of farmland face being surrendered to the sea under secret plans to save the rest of the Norfolk coast from the impact of climate change.
A scheme drawn up by experts at Natural England, the body born out of the Countryside Agency and English Nature in 2006, envisages that 25 square miles of fen and fields would be wiped off the map for ever in an attempt to realign the coastline.
A leak of a draft paper that outlines the strategy has caused alarm throughout Norfolk.
With climate change likely to bring rising sea levels and coastal erosion, the cost of maintaining flood defences is considered too difficult and expensive. One scenario is to allow the sea to breach about 15 miles of the North Norfolk coast, between Horsey and Winterton, and flood inland for about five miles, as far as Potter Heigham and Stalham, to create a new bay. Hundreds of homes, about 2,500 acres of National Trust property and Hickling Broad would disappear under seawater before the end of the century.

Climate change: surrender a slab of Norfolk, say conservationists - Times Online


I don't quite understand how this is meant to work, but I certainly hope it never happens. A little too close to home.

[poppy]

I sort of get it, I think. I would hate to see it come about, but i think the sea may make the decision for them anyway and may well take more than they expect.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

envisages that 25 square miles of fen and fields would be wiped off the map

Ahhh. Forgive my confussion, but are these the same "fens" that some one told me on another thread "Are well drained and do not flood"?

[Sweetpea]

Bit up the coast from us.