Many coastal cities around UK rely on traditional coastal flood protection schemes. Some have been recently redesigned, taking into account future climate predictions and designed to improvements of the quality of life on the sea front. This talk will introduce a framework for the development of coastal protection schemes in the UK based on the Shoreline Management Plan, a non-statutory policy document for coastal flood and erosion risk management and planning. The talk will focus on the Fylde coast, in the North West of England, where research and monitoring have contributed to the development of new coastal defences in recent years. Using the newly built Rossall Coastal Defence as an example, it will explore what is involved in building and maintaining such defences and how they can contribute to wider benefits for coastal communities.