Coastal Erosion

Historically, coastal erosion has been experienced along the unprotected North Sheppey Coastline between the existing coastal defences at Minster Leas and Warden Bay. This natural process occurs around the UK coastline, and in 2012 a study, funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), was conducted to assess the cliff erosion between Minster and Warden Bay on the Isle of Sheppey to provide up to date information on future predicted erosion rates.

As a result of future climate change, these erosion rates are predicted to increase over the next 100 years, and plans prepared for a public exhibition in 2013 show the estimated erosion around the coastline based on the best information available at the time of the study. It should be noted that these are predictions, and actual erosion rates will vary depending on ground conditions and characteristics, weather patterns and other factors.

Due to the complicated nature of coastal erosion, cliff collapses can be unpredictable and occur without notice, and such an event occurred in May 2020 in the Surf Crescent/Third Avenue area of Eastchurch, resulting in the loss of one property and the evacuation of other nearby properties at the time. Following this collapse, a specialist Geotechnical Survey was commissioned to provide information to landowners on anticipated future events and timescales.

Details of the exhibition material and study from 2012, and the latest Geotechnical Survey report can be accessed via the links on this page. Anyone looking to purchase property located near areas of coastal erosion is strongly advised to commission their own independent specialist surveys and seek professional advice.

You can download the:

• layout central (PDF 1.2MB)
• layout east (PDF 1.01MB)
• layout west (PDF 2.4MB)
• 2012 Study (North Sheppey Coastal Study V2 No Personal Data_Redacted) (PDF 2.3MB)
• Eastchurch Geotechnical Report 2020 (Eastchurch Cliff Report for Website)