Summary
Dr Sien Van Der Plank, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, submitted a detailed response to DEFRA’s 2025 consultation on Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) funding reform. Drawing on her research in community engagement and coastal adaptation, Dr Van Der Plank supports the proposed hybrid funding model but identifies key areas for improvement.
Her response highlights how the new approach could improve funding access for smaller, coastal, and socio-economically deprived communities, better support property-level resilience measures, and increase investment in nature-based solutions. However, she calls for clearer guidance on funding non-infrastructure-based adaptations and the long-term involvement of communities. She also stresses the need to align funding mechanisms more directly with strategic planning documents like Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs), which currently lack assured funding.
The submission offers specific recommendations for strengthening Principle 3 (on refurbishment funding), clarifying roles and responsibilities in partnership working, and empowering Regional Mayors to drive integrated, community-centred adaptation planning.
Authors
Dr Sien Van Der Plank, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton.
