Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Dorset Council and (b) the Environment Agency on potential alternatives to the no active intervention policy for the Charmouth coastline.

The Government is investing £36 million in the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme to support communities, including in Dorset, to explore innovative approaches to adapt to coastal change.

The Environment Agency has published updated National Coastal Erosion Risk Map data, including future climate change scenarios.

Shoreline Management Plans, developed by local councils, guide long-term strategies for managing flood and erosion risks. The SMP policies for Charmouth were considered during the development of SMP16 ‘Durlston Head to Rame Head’ and will be reviewed as part of the current SMP refresh process. Dorset Council and the Environment Agency are part of the SMP16 management group for South Devon & Dorset, who can consider any new data for this area which may have implications for the current SMP policies.