'Children's Parliament' visit to Hemsby can focus minds on tackling coastal erosion, says local group
They group are holding an 'Emergency Cobra meeting' on the issue in the Norfolk village, today
The chair of 'Save Hemsby Coastline' is telling us he's hopeful that a visit from the 'Children's Parliament' will help focus minds on tackling the devastating effects of coastal erosion.
They're holding an 'Emergency Cobra meeting' on the issue, with those directly affected by it. While a LEGO recreation of 'The Marrams' will show the scale of damage caused over the last few year.
"One bad storm might be just enough to push them too close to the edge"
Simon Measures also lives on the villages seafront road- 'The Marrams':
"Some of the properties are very close to the edge now. These are people's homes and they're staring down the barrel of losing them, soon.
"One bad storm might be just enough to push them too close to the edge and then next thing you know, they've got a council-worker knocking on your door and telling you to get out.
"We need to take a leaf out of other European countries books and take coastal security seriously. It's far too patchwork and there's still too many areas around the coast that are suffering.
"Some decision-makers are still too distant and don't realise how damaging it is for the economy to lose a coastal area."
The event in more detail:
In December 2023, the Hemsby coastline lost 3–4 metres of beach, and five cliff-top houses were demolished.
The Emergency Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament Cobra meeting will he held from 10:30am until 4:00pm.
Fifteen Child MP’s from Great Yarmouth will also be in attendance and “grilling the adults”.
Those from Hemsby Parish Council, Save Hemsby Coastline, Hemsby Independent Lifeboat, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Coastal Partnership East will also be provide evidence.
Residents who have already been made homeless will also speak. The former Beefeater who cooked for the late Queen Mother, Ex Grenadier, Lance Martin, has amassed £18K on credit cards now “sofa surfs” as his house was deemed uninhabitable will give evidence.
He will be joined by fellow Hemsby resident Kevin Jordan, who lost his home last December and is currently taking the Government to the High court over its climate plans with Friends of the Earth.
"There’s no help in sight. Something needs to be done”
Child Prime Minister Clark Dearson, 11 years, is travelling to Hemsby from Essex to co-chair the meeting.
“The Environment agency have used ICONIC Bricks for LEGO recreations before. I felt using LEGO for the Children’s Parliament Cobra meeting on Coastal erosion will help make the emergency Hemsby residents face more real for young people and get authorities to sit up and take notice.
People are being made homeless. And there’s no help in sight. Something needs to be done”.
“With a huge funding shortfall for Hemsby sea defences, I am calling on the LEGO Foundation to help fund, not just a model, but the life-size sea defence wall”.