More than a dozen homeowners have been compelled to leave their clifftop residences after severe weather conditions, exacerbated by Storm Goretti, have left these structures dangerously close to the edge.
In the past week, some areas of Hemsby, Norfolk, have seen over 30 feet of coastline vanish, with a significant loss of 13 feet occurring on Friday alone.
Officials from Great Yarmouth Borough Council have notified 14 residents living on The Marrams and Fakes Road, instructing them to evacuate due to the immediate threat of their homes collapsing, and plans are underway for their demolition.
This development follows just a month after the council initiated the demolition of 11 homes in the same region, after issuing similar warnings to their distraught owners.
Among those affected, 80-year-old Carol Boyes was assisted from her chalet on Friday night by lifeboat crews, council staff, and volunteers, as her home was left precariously situated. Her decking now dangles over the cliff.
She shared with the Mail, “The decking was intact on Friday, but due to the storm, they decided to relocate us.”
‘Just as well because the next morning the road had gone. It had just cracked in half.
‘I’ve lived there for 23 years. I’ve been upset obviously a few times but it hasn’t really hit me yet. I’ve got too much to sort out, which is taking my mind off it for now.’
More than 30ft of coastline has been lost in some parts of Hemsby, Norfolk, in the past week
Carol Boyes, 80, who has been a resident for 35 years, hoped to stay there for one last Christmas but admits it is unlikely
The pensioner added she was staying with a friend for now but had nowhere to go afterwards.
Another evacuee is Eric Forbes, who was moving the last of his possessions out of his home today.
He has lived there for six years but it had been in his family since the 1990s.
‘I’d say we lost 12ft of land in front of my house [since Friday]. It’s very close to the edge now,’ Mr Forbes said.
‘I’m staying with friends for now. After that, I’m not sure.
‘It’s been a disaster. I’m in the middle of it all right now and I’m a bit stressed out.’
The sandy shoreline around Hemsby has made it one of the most erosion-prone areas in Europe and 34 homes have been lost to the North Sea since 2013.
They include seven from a tidal surge in December 2013, another seven to the Beast from the East in March 2018 and 11 in 2023.
In the past three weeks, nine of the 11 properties recently scheduled for demolition have also been bulldozed before they collapsed onto the shore below.
The latest dramatic land loss began last week and included the loss of the ramp used by Hemsby lifeboat crew to access the beach.
Storm Goretti then swept in, with amber weather warnings being issued across the UK as it brought heavy snowfall and strong winds.
Kevin Jordan, of pressure group Save Hemsby Coastline (SHC), said it was ‘truly frightening’ how much land had disappeared in Hemsby in such a short time.
He added it was a shame that a close-knit community of people had been broken up as their homes were lost.
SHC colleague Simon Measures accused the council of a ‘lack of leadership’ by failing to take more action to slow coastal erosion in the area.
He said: ‘All we observe are council officials and elected representatives commentating on the situation.
‘Simply being informed that there has been ‘serious erosion’ or that the coastline is ‘disappearing’ does not assist anyone – we are aware of it.
‘We experience it first-hand, witnessing our homes and those of our friends and neighbours being consumed by the sea, while no action is taken. Not a single home has been protected.’
Mr Measures also said a state of emergency should have been declared for the area, saying: ‘The catastrophe didn’t occur overnight. It didn’t catch anyone off guard last weekend.
‘This has been an issue for years, with the rate of erosion increasing annually.’
A council spokesman said: ‘We have been liaising closely with people affected by erosion in Hemsby for some time but the recent spate of storms and forecast of further damage from Storm Goretti means some properties are now in an even more precarious position.
‘It is extremely traumatic for those affected, but coastal experts say there is a real risk of collapse.
‘Making sure residents and the public are safe is of paramount importance so we are working closely with owners to explain the risks, offer support and advice where necessary and detail the options available to people at this very difficult time.’
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has written to 14 residents on The Marrams and Fakes Road to say they must leave as their homes are at imminent risk of collapse and have been scheduled for demolition
Staff from the council’s housing team are based in the village to offer support and advice for anyone who needs assistance, the spokesman added.
He continued: ‘It is deeply upsetting for homeowners but doing nothing is simply not an option with the rate of erosion we face.
‘Our coastline is one of the fastest eroding in northern Europe and climate change means there will inevitably be further loss of land.
‘How we plan for that and provide appropriate support and information about the options available to people is of paramount importance.
‘We would urge people to pay extra attention and stay well clear of the dune face.’
James Bensly, the Norfolk county councillor responsible for environment and waste, raised the matter at a cabinet meeting on Monday.
He said: ‘We’ve had serious erosion over the last weekend. I live and work there. I see the erosion up close and I hear daily from residents who are watching our coastline disappear and wondering what will happen next.
‘The pace of it is quite alarming and deeply upsetting, to tell you the truth, as people affected by it have lost homes and others will be in the shadow of erosion as it creeps closer
‘The emotional toll on my community is enormous at the moment and some of the residents are finding it really hard.’
The county council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council were fighting for ‘sustainable solutions’ for Hemsby and other coastal communities, he added.
But Mr Bensly said it was a nationwide issue and called on the government to provide more help.
