Demolition of five homes on erosion-hit Norfolk coastline begins

Workers knocked down the first of the homes in Hemsby, Norfolk, this morning.

Parts of the coastline have been cordoned off
Author: Jordan Reynolds, PA / Erin WilsonPublished 9th Dec 2023

The demolition of five homes in Norfolk has come as a result of high tides and strong winds which caused the collapse of a stretch of a private access road last month.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said a number of properties in The Marrams in Hemsby were subsequently inspected and a decision was taken to demolish five that were at risk.

The authority said this decision, taken with the owners' permission, was because the homes were "not structurally sound and are unsafe".

The work will be carried out for at least four days by a demolition company, but given the tides it can only be carried out for a limited number of hours each day.

Wrecking machines are on the beach to carry out demolitions due to the loss of the access road, and material is being taken off the beach by tipper truck.

Simon Measures, chairman of Save Hemsby Coastline, who lives further up the coastline from the five houses affected, said the feeling locally has been fluctuating "from extreme sadness to extreme anger".

He said: "It's a day-to-day strain. I, along with everybody else, we live on weather reports.

"If someone tells us there's going to be high winds we really panic."

Damage to cliffs in Hemsby

Mr Measures said the community is "close knit" and that on Friday someone posted online that one of those affected by the demolitions needed help moving out and 40 people turned up.

Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, previously said: "While we have known for some considerable time that more properties were at risk from erosion, this remains an extremely difficult time for those people who are losing their homes.

"Our thoughts are with those affected and our staff have been working hard to provide support and welfare for those who need it.

"Unfortunately, continued erosion on this stretch of coastline is inevitable and we are working hard with our partners and other agencies to work out how we best adapt to the changing shape of our coast in the coming years."

The council said demolition would be a "complex task" and access in the area will be limited, with members of the public urged to stay away from the beach for safety reasons.

Signs have been put up warning people to avoid the cliffs

The access road remains closed, as does a footpath in the area.

As the demolition takes place, work to create access to remove a small number of vehicles and a caravan which were left behind when part of the access road was lost will also take place.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Government flood defence grant-in-aid is available to Great Yarmouth Borough Council, as the risk management authority, to fund or part-fund flood and coast erosion risk management schemes.

"To apply for funding, risk management authorities need to submit a business case to the Environment Agency showing how the project will work, that it will last, that it is able to be delivered and is environmentally acceptable."

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