Useful Resources For Beach Hut Owners
Enjoying coasts and beaches
 Have you thought of exploring Britain’s wonderful coastline? You can walk along one of the coastal footpaths, picnic on a beach, paddle in the sea or look for wildlife in a rock pool. Also, discover which beaches have won awards for being well-managed, clean and safe.
You need to make sure that you keep safe when visiting coastal areas. Follow the advice from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on sea and beach safety. Make sure you check the weather forecast before setting off on any activity.
Coasts
 Heritage coasts are special coastlines which are managed so that their natural beauty is conserved and, where appropriate, the accessibility for visitors is improved. Many stretches of our most beautiful coastlines are easily accessible by a network of public footpaths and bridleways.
You can find the location of heritage coasts from the Natural England website. Natural England helps to manage England's coastline and you can visit, for example, the marine nature reserve at Lundy or take a virtual tour.
The Sout West coast path national trail gives access to over 600 miles of coast.
Explore the National Trust’s coastline pages for ideas of what to do and where to go.
Beaches
 Many beaches are owned by local authorities and dedicated for public use. Certain activities may be restricted, such as camping, driving vehicles or lighting fires. There are also a few private beaches, closed to the public, with a notice displayed that explains this. You can find out more from the local council or tourist office for the area.
Find out about ENCAMS Seaside Awards. ENCAMS is the national agency for litter abatement. This distinctive yellow and blue flag award is only given to beaches that are clean, safe, well-managed and have water quality that meets European legislation. You can search for an award-winning beach on their website. You can also check out the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Beach Guide.
Nature and wildlife
 Britain's coastline is home to a huge variety of wildlife from bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks to corals and crustaceans. Look out for colonies of seabirds when you are enjoying the UK coastline - the cliffs and craggy rocks make ideal nesting sites for a variety of gulls. Along the shoreline you can see wading birds probing the mud and sand for food.
Rock pools also provide a great place to see crabs and limpets, and a small fish left stranded by the outgoing tide (but make sure you leave these important habitats as you found them).
More information on seabirds can be found on the RSPB website, and more details of other coastal wildlife is available from the Wildlife Trust.
With hottest year on record predicted, ignorance risks children's lives on UK's coast
 As part of a major accident prevention initiative, Coastguards are today launching their Sea Smart summer safety campaign as thousands are set to flock to the beach this summer. Coastguards are predicting that a record number of people could get into difficulty around the coast this summer as 2007 is set to be the warmest year on record.
The Coastguard's Sea Smart launch takes place at North Pier, Blackpool to mark the inaugural trip of the first Coastguard branded tram. It will be running along the seafront throughout the summer. Children from local Stannah Primary School in Fleetwood will be there for the tram's first outing.
The Sea Smart campaign, aimed at children under the age of 14 and their parents, is highlighting that lives are being put at risk. According to the 'Coastguard Sea Smart Survey', over half of the general public (51%) don't know to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard if they see someone in trouble in the sea.
"It's vital to remember if you see someone in difficulty, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard"
According to the Chief Coastguard, Peter Dymond: "Asking for the wrong emergency service causes a serious delay in assistance being provided. It's vital to remember if you see someone in difficulty, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
Last summer more people got into difficulty and needed help from the Coastguard (27,922 in 2006 compared to 27,267 in 2005). To cut the number of life-threatening incidents and prevent a family day-out turning into a tragedy, Coastguards recommend following their Sea Smart code when at the beach:
- spot the dangers
- always go with a friend
- find and read the safety signs
- emergency? Stick your hand up and shout, tell a lifeguard or dial 999 for Coastguard
Coastal flooding
The coastline is an important feature of the United Kingdom and one which plays a major part in many regional issues. If you live near a coastline, your council can provide you with details about how it is managing the risk of coastal erosion.
Coastal erosion
 Coastal erosion should be viewed as part of a long-term dynamic process with the coastline receding or advancing at the boundary between the land and the sea. History shows us that the coastline of the UK has been changing for centuries and this will continue into the future.
Material that is transported from one section of the coast can be transported to form part of a beach, saltmarsh or mudflat somewhere else in a continuous process of erosion and build-up. It is important that those responsible for managing coastal erosion risk recognise these underlying natural processes and work with them as much as possible.
Who is responsible for managing coastal flood and erosion risk?
Flood and coastal erosion risk management is a devolved responsibility. In England, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has overall policy responsibility. Defra funds most of the Environment Agency's flood related work and grant aids individual projects carried out by local authorities. However Defra does not build or maintain defences.
Maritime local authorities are empowered to carry out works in their area to protect the coast from erosion; they may also undertake works to protect against sea flooding.
 The Environment Agency is the principal flood defence operating authority with responsibility for managing flood risk from designated main rivers and the sea. The Environment Agency is also responsible for public awareness campaigns, flood forecasting and warning.
The risk of flooding
The Environment Agency monitors sea conditions over a 24 hour period, 365 days a year. The Storm Tide Forecasting Service provides the Environment Agency with forecasts of coastal flooding, surge and wave activity, together with warnings when hazardous situations are seen to be developing.
If you are concerned about flooding from the sea, you should contact the Environment Agency's 24 hour Flood Line on 0845 988 1188, or seek advice via their website in the first instance. They will advise you of what precautions you should take and what action is needed in the event of a flood emergency.
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