People living along a low-lying and exposed section of Norfolk's coast have been told they will not be "abandoned", amid uncertainty over the future of the sea defences.
The Environment Agency (EA) has sought to reassure locals living on the shore of the Wash between Hunstanton and Wolferton while it conducts a review of its shoreline management plan.
It comes after the agency announced last year it was conducting tests on a shingle ridge which acts as a defence for a large swathe of land, after its monitoring systems detected movement that could hamper its effectiveness.
READ MORE: Norfolk holiday homes could be moved amid shingle bank fears
The assessment will decide if a 'trigger point' has been reached, meaning the EA would need to change its approach for the next 35 years.
Currently, the plan is to hold the line until 2025 but this policy could change to "managed realignment" if necessary in the future, which could include moving many of the area's caravan sites out of the flood zone behind the ridge.
The announcement that a bid for funding to protect Hemsby's eroding coast in the east of the county had been unsuccessful heightened speculation that this section of the coast could face a similar fate.
However, Environment Agency area manager Sadia Moeed has said it will continue to maintain the sea defences, which includes the annual beach recycling - which involves shingle being moved to bolster the ridge.
"There have always been lots of challenges and uncertainties," she said at an environment panel meeting. This coastline, with the shallow seabed and vast expanse of the Wash, is not found anywhere else in the country.
"At some point certain triggers will mean we will have to reassess our approach and look at different options but we will not abandon the coastline."
However, a beach recharge, which costs millions of pounds, is not currently being considered as it is not deemed necessary at this time.
READ MORE: Coastline refused government funding for sea defences
Councillor Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment and coastal, echoed this and said that the council was working closely with the agency to look at the best approach to protect the area for the future.
It is expected that the outcome of the investigation, which will be carried out by coastal experts, will be revealed by spring this year.
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