Find out more about our annual erosion monitoring of the Hunstanton Cliffs
Monitoring purpose
The Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan recommended commencing annual and post storm terrestrial ‘Light Detection and Ranging’ (known as terrestrial LiDAR) surveys of the Hunstanton Cliffs.
These surveys will:
- Take place annually over an initial four-year period (likely to be extended)
- Be undertaken by the Environment Agency’s Anglian Coastal Monitoring Programme’s surveying contractors
- Outcomes assessed and a report of outcomes produced by the British Geological Survey (BGS)
- Be financed from the Anglian Great Ouse Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) local levy fund and the Borough Council
The purpose of the annual surveys is to monitor the rate of erosion of the Hunstanton Cliffs. High accuracy monitoring provided by terrestrial LiDAR will help to further inform when cliff top assets may become at risk. Outcomes of these surveys will be used to refine the timeline for when rock armour will need to be implemented to reduce the rate of erosion (likely in 50 to 60 years’ time).
The reports are also being made available to residents in the local area to help raise awareness of the processes occurring at the Cliffs.
Baseline report
As a starting point, we commissioned a baseline report to be produced by BGS which will form the foundation of the new monitoring we are starting. The baseline report assesses erosion of the Hunstanton Cliffs from four previous terrestrial LiDAR scans which have been completed by the Environment Agency’s coastal monitoring programme in 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2019.
The main conclusions of the baseline report are:
- Between 2010-2019 the annual rate of cliff erosion was 7cm per year
- The most active area of cliff erosion is the middle section of Cliffs
- Annual monitoring and report production should take place until at least 2024
- Cliff erosion rates are in line with predictions of the Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan
- No changes are currently required to the Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan
A copy of the full report can be downloaded below:
View the BGS Hunstanton Cliffs Baseline Report
2020-21 annual report
The first annual survey and report of the Hunstanton Cliffs was completed in 2020-21. The main conclusions of this survey were:
- There has been a small increase in the mean rate of erosion from 7cm per year between 2010-2019 to 10 cm per year in 2020-21
- Overall, across the whole Cliff frontage, rates of erosion are in line with previous surveys
- The current cliff erosion follows the predictions of the Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan
- The annual monitoring and report of outcomes should continue until at least 2024
- The most active area of cliff erosion remains the middle section, following the baseline survey
- No changes are currently required to the Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan
A copy of the full report can be downloaded below:
View 2020/21 Cliff Monitoring Report
2021-22 annual report
The second annual survey and report of the Hunstanton Cliffs was completed in 2021-22. The main conclusions of this survey were:
- There has been a small increase in the mean rate of erosion, from 10cm per year in 2020-21 to 11cm per year in 2021-22
- The northern section of cliffs is now the most active area of cliff erosion
- Rates of erosion for the southern and middle sections of the Cliffs remain in-line with previous years
- Overall, rates of erosion remain in-line with Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan predictions
- The annual monitoring and report of outcomes should continue until at least 2024
- Beach levels have fallen by approximately 2 meters across the whole cliff frontage between 2010-2022, following trends observed in Hunstanton Town
- No changes are currently required to the Hunstanton Coastal Management Plan
A copy of the full report can be downloaded below:
View the 2021-22 Cliff Monitoring Report
2022-23 annual report
The third annual survey of the Hunstanton Cliffs is due to take place in April 2023. Once we have received the data, a report of outcomes will be produced by BGS and published on the website later in the year.
Further information
If you need to speak to us about the Hunstanton Cliff monitoring, you can contact us at any time by email at floodandwatermanagement@west-norfolk.gov.uk