Flood or food? Landowners are the solution not the problem says CLA

The CLA has warned of the risks of abandoning areas of Norfolk to the sea at a time when the crisis in food supply means Britain will almost certainly need the land to produce food.

Food security is now rising up on the political agenda - but has not been taken into account when making coastal defense policy.

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "Can we really afford to be abandoning areas of productive agricultural land to the sea?

"Sustainability is about not compromising future generations' ability to meet their needs - allowing the sea to reclaim prime farmland and thus reducing food production capacity cannot be regarded as a good legacy. There is a need to avoid short-termism when dealing with coast defence."

Rural economy experts Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has also highlighted the big concern of cost of property value - blight. Many people bought properties with the understanding that the defences will be maintained. Now many face loss of value to their properties and difficulties with insurance.

The CLA President said: "Many coastal landowners in East Anglia could be part of the solution to this problem if Government freed them from the shackles of red tape, allowing them to repair and maintain defences that are fit for purpose."

The CLA welcomes points made in the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) Flooding Report published today including the idea to ring fence capital expenditure for rural areas.

But the CLA is disappointed that there is no recommendation to properly join up water resources planning and flood management, an area in which the CLA has been strongly campaigning.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Oliver Wilson, Director of Communications, 020 7460 7936 ollie.wilson@cla.org.uk

Phillippa Coates, Press Officer, 020 7460 7934 phillippa.coates@cla.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The CLA – the rural economy experts - has a 36,000-strong membership. 

2. For more information about the CLA, visit: www.cla.org.uk

3. The rural economy experts first raised the need for Government policies that enabled food security back in May 2007 because in the relatively short time span of 25 -50 years climate change could well push the boundaries for food production northwards leaving northern Europe and South America responsible for feeding not only their own populations but many areas of the world as well.

4. A Natural England leak had suggested that one option it was actively considering was to breach existing flood defences rather than proactively manage the coastline to protect food security as well as communities.

5. The EFRA Flooding Report was published on Wednesday, 7 May.