Heritage Coast
Unspoilt shoreline protected from development
A Heritage Coast is a stretch of England's or Wales's finest undeveloped shoreline, valued for its scenery and wildlife. It is not a statutory designation. Local authorities agree each stretch with Natural England in England, or Natural Resources Wales in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no Heritage Coasts and protect their coastline through other designations.
What This Means
You need no extra permission to live in, repair or alter the inside of this property. The designation works on the planning system, not on your front door. It asks the local planning authority to protect the character of the undeveloped coast when it judges new development. A large extension, a prominent outbuilding or anything visible from the shore therefore faces closer scrutiny. On its own it removes no permitted development rights. Coastal erosion and flood risk sit in separate designations, and they are what lenders and insurers actually price. This does not normally affect mortgage approval, buildings insurance or resale.
Practical Advice
- Check the local planning authority's local plan policies map to see whether this property sits inside the Heritage Coast boundary.
- Ask your conveyancer whether a National Landscape, National Park or conservation area also covers this plot.
- Ask the local planning authority whether an Article 4 direction has removed permitted development rights here before you plan external work.
- Ask your conveyancer separately whether this property sits in a Coastal Change Management Area or a flood zone.
Key Points
- England has 32 Heritage Coasts and Wales has 14, together covering roughly a third of the coastline in each nation.
- The first was the Sussex Heritage Coast at Beachy Head, defined in April 1973 and now inside the South Downs National Park.
Additional Information
Many Heritage Coasts lie inside a National Landscape or a National Park. Those designations, not this one, carry the binding planning controls. The linked guidance covers England; in Wales the equivalent role sits with Natural Resources Wales.