Hemsby: Petition for coastal defences for town given to No 10

Campaigners concerned about coastal erosion have been to Downing Street to hand in a petition calling for sea defence funding for Hemsby

Campaigners concerned about coastal erosion have been to Downing Street to submit a petition calling for funds for sea defences.

Members of Save Hemsby Coastline and the local independent lifeboat want No 10 to help fund a rock defence scheme.

In October Sir Brandon Lewis, the Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, and local authorities said Hemsby, in Norfolk, did not qualify for funds.

The government said it had doubled spending on coastal and flood defences.

Simon Measures, the chairman of the Save Hemsby Coastline group, was part of the delegation that went to London.

"We're trying to persuade the government to talk to the Environment Agency to change the criteria it uses to decide whether coastal villages are worthy of sea defences or not," he said.

The group want the government to change the funding formula for coastal defences, which are based on the value of properties and businesses in the area.

'Not worth saving'

"The problem we have with Hemsby is that we are just a traditional seaside village. We're not millionaires so we don't have millionaire-style houses," said Mr Measures.

"Because Hemsby is so small, we don't generate enough cash, so we're not worth saving," he said.

Hemsby currently has no sea defences, although parts of the coast either side do.

"The only defences we have is the bit called The Marrams, which are natural sand dunes," he said.

"They have been eroded away at an alarming rate."

Recently Hemsby lifeboat station announced it was planning to relocate over fears its station would be lost to coastal erosion.

In October 2023 the Hemsby coastline lost to the sea another 3m to 4m (10ft to 13ft) of beach, and five cliff-top houses were demolished in December.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council needs £15m towards the Hemsby rock berm defences, although inflation had pushed the estimated cost closer to £20m.

In 2023 five houses on the Hemsby coastline were demolished

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said recently it had "doubled investment in flood and coastal erosion schemes in England to £5.2bn between 2021 and 2027.

"We are also investing £36m in the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme in a number of small of coastal areas at significant risk of coastal erosion, including in Norfolk, to look at how we transition and adapt to a changing climate."

Labour's Steve Reed speaking to Ian and Jackie Brennan and Lorna Bevan from Save Hemsby Coastline

Steve Reed, Labour's shadow environment secretary, met with members of Save Hemsby Coastline on 23 January and pledged to change the formula for funding coastal defence programmes.

He said Labour would value tourism and hospitality as well as residential property if it succeeded at the next general election.

Hemsby is visited by tourists from across the country.

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