Erosion at Hemsby Beach threatens coastal homes

Two homes are at risk due to the erosion

A couple living in a bungalow that is dangerously close to falling into the sea have begged for help so they do not "lose our dream home".

Mary and Pat Whitey said hearing the wind and sea, especially at night, was "scary" and there was now just 6m (19.6 ft) of land between their home and the cliff edge at Hemsby in Norfolk.

On Saturday, the beach was closed to the public over safety fears.

Significant erosion means the lifeboat cannot launch due to a 9ft (2.7m) drop.

Daniel Hurd of the Hemsby Lifeboat Station, which is in a lower gap in sandy cliffs, said he feared that without action the beach could be shut for decades.

The damage has been caused by the cumulative effects of multiple high tides and strong winds, rather than an especially strong storm surge.

The Environment Agency said it understood "how distressing the situation" was for residents and it was supporting the council to minimise the impact on the community.

It said it was providing advice and guidance to the local authorities who lead on planning and managing coastal erosion.

The agency said the government's programme for sea defences meant they were only being built where they were sustainable and affordable. In areas where they were not, other policy approaches such as managed realignment or transition were being followed - sometimes known as managed retreat, where the coast was left unprotected.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said it was working with residents to ensure homes were safe and secure, and visiting people whose homes were potentially at risk from "future weather events".

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment.

Homes fell from the cliffs in 2018 and last year the lifeboat crew appealed for more sea defence materials.

Mary and Pat Whitey said it was scary not knowing what would happen to their home

Pat Whitey, 79, has lived in his home on the cliffs above the beach for 35 years. Then there was 150m (492ft) between his home and the cliff edge, but it is now only six metres away.

In the last few weeks alone the gap has narrowed from 10m (33ft) .

"I feel pretty bad," he said.

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Mrs Whitey, 38, said she could hear the sea and wind at night and it terrified her now to think of the damage it was doing to the cliffs under their home.

"I've seen the sea come in, it is scary," she said.

"I can hear the noise at night time and I'm wondering what's happening out there?

"Seeing it coming in and taking our cliffs away is sad, because it's such a lovely place. It's home - we're losing our dream homes."

The couple are unable to get insurance for their home but have asked the council to help secure their house.

Mrs Whitey said: "We need help.

"Help us save our homes - that's all we want; we love it here; why are you holding back we need to save our homes?"

Daniel Hurd said he feared that without action the beach could be closed for decades

Daniel Hurd, coxswain at Hemsby Lifeboat Station - which is independent of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - said the situation "has been horrendous".

"We knew we were going to get some [cliff] washed away this year, but now the beach is going to have to stay shut permanently," he said.

"Unless the authorities get the ball rolling, we're probably looking at another 20 years before the beach opens."

There are fears Hemsby's tourism industry could be affected if the beach remains shut

Mr Hurd said the beach had been so badly affected by erosion that concrete debris from World War Two invasion defences had re-emerged.

Keith Kyriacou, 57, chairman of Hemsby Parish Council, raised concerns that the village might not survive if the beach was permanently shut and tourism affected.

"We're losing our beach and our beach is our main income in the summer - 85% of our income is from tourists and we just want the government to help us, but we don't seem to be getting anywhere fast," he said.

The parish council has urged the government to intervene and help protect the village

Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff at Hemsby was approved in principle, but Great Yarmouth Council said funding for the £15m scheme was "challenging to obtain", with just £2.5m available from the government.

Funding is also being sought for a short-term scheme to be put in place this year.

Council leader Carl Smith said: "I know that this surge tide has impacted upon other communities along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast.

"We are extremely vulnerable to coastal erosion and we are doing all that we can for the community and businesses in Hemsby to find ways forward to reduce that risk".