The Environment Agency and Defra's key policy aim for flood and coastal defence is:

'To reduce the risk to people and the developed and natural environments from flooding and coastal erosion through the development of strategic management options which are:

- based on the principle of 'sustainable development' and the 'precautionary approach' in view of:

• the economic and social environment
• the built environment and archaeology
• the natural environment and biodiversity

- compatible with natural processes as far as possible

- take account of future changes to the environment as a consequence of sea level rise and climate change

- take account of adjacent coastal strategies and other management plans

- ‘owned' and adopted by stakeholders, and used to implement best practice

In line with the above, ensure that all proposals arising from the strategy:

- avoid, as far as possible, tying future generations into inflexible and expensive options for defence, and are:

• technically feasible
• economically viable
• socially acceptable
• environmentally compatible

To develop long and short term plans:

to develop strategic river and coastal defence management policies for the next one hundred years
to develop a fully integrated five year plan of work