by John Prince
A Parliamentary report has delivered a stark warning about the accelerating coastal erosion crisis, laying bare the profound and distressing impact on East Yorkshire communities and accusing government of failing to grasp the scale of human suffering on the cliff edge.
The Erosion of Trust report, published by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, has drawn on dozens of submissions from across the UK including evidence from East Riding Council.
Committee members, who include Bridlington and the Wolds MP Charlie Dewhirst, formally approved it last week. MPs say the strongest message was not the loss of homes or infrastructure, but the devastating human costs endured by people living with the constant threat of erosion and landslides.
The report describes residents experiencing deep grief, anger, fear and anxiety, often long before their properties are in immediate danger.
East Riding Council’s evidence paints a bleak picture of vulnerability along the Holderness coast. The authority told MPs that areas at risk of erosion have higher levels of relative deprivation and lower job density, leaving communities with less capacity to adapt as the coastline retreats.
The council also reported that the loss of roads, slipways and access routes – such as at Tunstall, Skipsea and Atwick – is increasing isolation, with consequences for emergency services, tourism and local businesses.
In some at-risk areas, the council said isolation had been accompanied by a rise in crime, compounding the pressure on already fragile communities.
The report has been unsparing in its criticism of the financial protections available to households.
It highlights the absence of insurance for coastal erosion, the failure of conveyancing processes to reliably disclose known risks, and the inadequacy of the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant.
That grant, which has been unchanged since 2010, provides £6,000 towards demolition despite current costs ranging from £25,000 to £35,000. East Riding Council told MPs that demolitions have cost it £798,567 since 2010, forcing the authority to step in where residents cannot meet the shortfall.
The report also notes that the East Riding is among the areas selected for new Coastal Adaptation Pilots beginning in April 2026, with £18 million shared between projects in the East Riding, Norfolk and Suffolk. But MPs warn that previous pilot schemes have ended without national rollout, leaving long term support not assured.
Their conclusion is uncompromising. Coastal erosion and landslides have profound and far-reaching consequences for individuals, families and communities, deepening inequality, eroding social cohesion and leaving people feeling abandoned.
For East Yorkshire’s rapidly retreating coastline, the message is clear. The current system is nowhere near enough, and the Government can no longer look away.