Morale of seafront residents in Hemsby at all time low- campaigner
It's after decision-makers warned that putting a permanent sea defence on Hemsby's beach would negatively impact the local economy
Campaigners living in Hemsby tell us morale of residents on the seafront is at an all time-low.
As temporary sea defences are set to be removed by local decision-makers, who argue they're "largely ineffective" and could be hazardous to beach-goers.
The move is a fresh blow for the village, which has lost 25 homes to the sea since 2013.
"The decisions they're making here are directly affecting people's lives"
Simon Measures lives on the village's seafront road, 'The Marrams' and is chair of 'Save Hemsby Coastline'
"We hear all this talk about support, but in reality there isn't any. Instead somebody comes along and says here's your house gone and here's the number of the housing association and department. Good Luck!"
"If the Council remove the defences right before the storm season really hits, there's no telling what damage will be done here.
"Once The Marrams are gone, that sea is going to continue biting into the village. It's going to start attacking the car-park and businesses here.
"Decision-makers here need to start remember that the decisions they're making here are directly affecting people's lives. They seem to have lost that".
"We have already offered to re-position whatever needs re-positioning to sort out the defences from a health and safety point of view. They've said no".
"Let us do that, let us make our defences safe so they can continue to protect people's homes".
The latest:
Among the defences they are now calling for the removal of is an emergency rock berm installed by the council in 2023, as well as others put in place by homeowners trying to protect the village.
In a report, they have highlighted the health and safety implications, including the dangers of steel bars protruding from lots of them.
They also say some defences may be protecting a small number of properties directly behind them but are speeding up erosion either side of the installations.
They warn that reconfiguring or moving the existing sea defences is likely to have limited benefits.
However, some material, such as the rock berm, may be moved to protect different parts of the beach, such as the beach access ramp.
New sea defences have also been ruled out due to the huge £20m cost for installing a rock berm nearly a mile long.
The council also says such a structure would risk destroying Hemsby’s tourism trade, which is worth £100m a year, as it would cover much of the sandy beach, where thousands of tourists flock each summer.
Natasha Hayes, a director at Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), said: “The council is highly empathetic of the people whose homes are at risk.
“But the defences are not preventing coastal erosion. Waves are going straight over the top or around the side and are washing away the cliff.
“This is the fastest eroding stretch of coastline in Europe and we have recently lost a metre and a half of beach.”
The council says it is working proactively to find solutions for those affected by coastal erosion to “prepare before properties fall into the sea,” Ms Hayes added.
Officials have identified 30 homes that are currently at risk and it is working towards finding a plan to relocate and financially support people likely to lose their homes from coastal erosion.
This includes securing planning rights for land which could be used to build rollback properties.