Cowbar: First phase of coastal erosion work in tiny Yorkshire hamlet set to cost £2.2m

The first phase of a road realignment plan agreed by council cabinet members for a hamlet on the Yorkshire coast will deliver “15 years of safe passage”.

Redcar and Cleveland Council is attempting to secure access along Cowbar Lane, in Cowbar, for future years with a three phase plan being put in place to mitigate against coastal erosion.

The lane provides the only vehicle access to properties in Cowbar and on the northern side of Staithes Harbour and also serves other critical infrastructure in the form of a Yorkshire Water pumping station for the area and a RNLI lifeboat station.

The council has warned without intervention the small hamlet could be “abandoned”.

Cowbar Lane also forms part of the Cleveland Way and is a national cycle network route.

The council’s cabinet has now agreed to the first phase of the scheme which involves moving Cowbar Lane away from the cliff edge and the demolition of a single property.

A cabinet report said: “This scheme provides approximately 15 years of safe passage before phase two is required – the underlying principle of phasing the road realignment is to allow homeowners to remain in their homes for as long as possible – and subsequently phase three due in year 2074 based on current predicted erosion rates. “

The approval will enable the council to deliver the scheme, including the submission of planning and statutory consent applications, completion of land and property acquisition, procurement of a construction contractor, and the securing of external funding.

The detailed design for the works was completed following stakeholder engagement and public consultation.

The report said funding submissions were being made to the Environment Agency and other partner organisations.

Construction is currently programmed to begin in the spring of next year and last about nine months.

The report explained: “Phase one of the Cowbar Lane Realignment Project will secure continued access to the Cowbar community, protect essential infrastructure, improve highway safety and build resilience against future coastal erosion.

“Future phases will protect the community for a 100 year period subject to actual cliff erosion rates and climate change impacts.”

The cabinet previously adopted a Staithes and Cowbar coastal strategy, which recommended a phased road realignment as the best way forward.

The first phase will deliver approximately 90 metres of highway realignment and include a new 4m carriageway, widening to 5.5m on Cowbar Bank, and also allow resident parking to be retained on sections of the existing carriageway.

Other elements include a new drainage system and new street lighting designed to North York Moors National Park ‘dark skies’ principles.

A £1.8m budget has been earmarked for the works, although the report warned this could rise to £2.2m, depending on the level of ‘optimism bias’.

The council has itself already allocated £550,000 towards the design and preparation of an outline business case.

It is hoped about £900,000 could be secured from Environment Agency grants.

The report said: “Discussions with other stakeholders for contributions have commenced to mitigate the financial obligation.

“Should the external funding bids prove unsuccessful the authority will explore any emerging funding streams along with a review of current capital budgets to find the necessary funding to deliver the scheme.

“If both the EA grants are secured, then the balance to be found is forecast as £350,000 within the £1.8m budget.”

A project steering group, involving residents and council officials, has been periodically meeting to discuss the plans, while letters were also sent to householders advising of the “advances of coastal erosion which requires the implementation of phase one road realignment of the strategy commencing as soon as possible”.

The report said contact was made last year with the homeowner of the property due to be demolished to begin the process to acquire it and this was “progressing well”.

It added: “Community engagement was vital in securing the support of local residents and in shaping a thoughtfully developed scheme that is responsive to local sensitivities, including the difficult reality that some homes may ultimately be lost to coastal erosion.

“The owners of the properties affected across the subsequent phases are older residents and, based on the current indicative programme, are likely to be able to remain in their homes for the rest of their lives before demolition is required.”