Cowbar and Staithes coastal strategy

Information about our strategy to support the Cowbar and Staithes coastline can be found here.

The cliff face at Cowbar Cottages is experiencing progressive erosion from direct wave attack and heavy rain triggering slips and mudslides.  

This situation has been ongoing historically. Cowbar Lane is at the cliff edge in this location and is now at immediate risk of collapse according to a recently received report into the significant rockfall event last year. You can download and view the report below:

The road is the only vehicle access to Cowbar Cottages (a hamlet of 23 cottages immediately behind the road) and the north side of Staithes Harbour (where there are 21 properties including the RNLI Lifeboat Station and a Yorkshire Water Pumping Station).  

Loss of this access road would result in abandonment of the properties and relocation of the RNLI Lifeboat Station and Yorkshire Water Pumping Station as there are no viable alternative access routes.  

Back in 2018, the process began to prepare a Coastal Strategy by this Council in conjunction with Scarborough Borough Council (North Yorkshire Council). 

The draft Strategy underwent public consultation late 2022 and was accepted by the Environment Agency (EA) May 2024. The Strategy looks at numerous options to help manage this coastline and derived a preferred option that was considered to be the most effective technically and economically and would assist mitigation for the erosion affecting Cowbar Lane. 

The preferred option approved by the Strategy is a three phased managed retreat whereby the road is sequentially moved southwards away from the cliff edge over 50 years.  However, the timescale for Phase 1 of this Road Realignment is now upon us due to the advancing erosion as per the updated report and advice received. 

You can find more information about the Cowbar strategy by visiting the North East Coastal Observatory website. 

Project Steering Group Meetings

The meeting scheduled for 21/01/26 has been postponed pending further surveys and the next Project Steering Group meeting will be 21/03/26 at 2-3pm. The meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams for invited members.

Agenda and meeting minutes for the project steering group meetings are available below:

Presentations

Presentations that were made to the steering group and the public consultation meeting are available to below: