New funding could put the North East on the map as climate leaders

A South Tyneside Council-led project aims to strengthen North Eastern coastlines and communities in the face of flooding, erosion and the impacts of climate change.

South Tyneside Council has secured £6.9m in funding for the region’s Stronger Shores initiative, which will take a new approach to making British coastlines and communities stronger in the face of flooding, erosion and the impacts of climate change. 

The project explores how to use the power of nature to restore our ocean’s health while cementing a more sustainable, healthy and prosperous future for coastal communities. Through Stronger Shores’ game-changing potential, the North East is trailblazing a path for the UK to be a world-leader in establishing proven, affordable and long-term solutions to the climate crisis.

This project is funded by Defra as part of the £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme which is managed by the Environment Agency to develop and test new approaches to help communities become more resilient to the effects of flooding and climate change. 

Through Stronger Shores, a network of experts will test new restoration approaches to better understand how these habitats can benefit communities in the North East and beyond through: improving water quality, reducing erosion and structural damage, helping to stabilise shorelines, reducing wave impacts, creating rich wildlife, protecting against pollution, improving fisheries, protecting against climate change, providing community recreation areas, and extending the lifespan of man-made coastal defences. 

The project is supported by: Newcastle University, University of Plymouth, Tees Rivers Trusts, The North Sea Wildlife Trusts, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Groundwork North East & Cumbria (GWNEC).