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the base of the cliffs, and the beaches cannot absorb as much energy from the waves as they originally did. With the base of the cliffs attacked more than usual, the rate of erosion is faster and material supporting the upper cliff is removed. Therefore, the upper cliff is even more likely to slide, as there is no base to support it. This means when the cliff slides the amount of friction between the layers is greater than what it was in the past. As previously the base supported some of the cliff, so friction levels had to be low for the landslide to occur. However because of indirect links to human activities, landslides will now happen with higher amounts of friction due to there been no base to help support the weight of the cliff. Therefore, in theory the time gap between the landslides on the Barton coastline will decrease.We have seen examples by which coastal erosion has been made worse because of human intervention. In the years when new methods were been experimented with little did people realise that in fact they were making the situation worse. Still these methods were carried forward and constructed around the British Isles for many years. Only has it been in the last 10 years that we have started to learn more and more about the coastal system. Today we have realised that in fact most of the methods we try on the coasts are in fact causing more damage than they are preventing it. We now understand that protecting one particular area will almost certainly lead to the putting another at risk. The good news is that now the councils and government are only protecting valuable areas that are under threat, and are refusing to give new licences to dredge material from offshore. This is also been accompanied by a new attitude towards coastal erosion of managed retreat. With sea levels expected to rise in the future, and Britain slowly subsiding into the sea this new method involves retreating from the coast. Meaning no new buildings are to be constructed unless they are a certain distance from the coastline. Also sea defences will be moved inland to higher ground, to compensate the rising sea levels. This will also reduce the money spent on sea defences every year, which can be put to much better uses within Britain. There may be people who oppose this idea like farmers and householders on the coasts, but even to compensate them will mean still saving millions of pounds every year. In normal circumstances, no one ever receives compensation for properties lost to the sea.

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