Norfolk seaside homes approved despite nearby coastal erosion
Officials say they're not at risk of erosion
Plans for more than 20 homes just metres from a Norfolk beach have been approved, with officials insisting they are not at risk of erosion.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has approved a bid for 23 affordable homes to be built on farmland on the edge of Walcott, a small village between Bacton and Happisburgh.
The site sits within just 150 metres of the coast, in an area which has seen significant erosion.
Large sections of the cliffs at Happisburgh have collapsed into the sea in recent weeks because of tidal conditions and strong winds.
But officials at NNDC insist the new properties in Walcott are at no immediate risk.
They said the coastal partnership team, which helps advise councils, have raised no objections to the plans because all the homes fall outside the most at-risk area.
However, NNDC officers admit that the corner of one of the property’s car parking spaces is at risk by the year 2105.
At a planning committee meeting last week, NNDC members praised the additional affordable housing it would bring.
The plan was unanimously approved.