8. How is coastal change predicted at the moment?
The government advises local authorities to use the shoreline management plan (SMP) as the main source of evidence for identifying areas at risk of coastal change. The SMP is a large-scale assessment of the risks associated with coastal processes and includes maps showing the expected shoreline position in 0-20 years, 20-50 years and 50-100 years (short, medium and long term). In East Devon the SMP does not show any significant loss of property or infrastructure in the short term, although it was adopted in 2011 and so we are already half way through the first 20 years and it is currently being refreshed to include the latest projections for climate change and sea level rise.