Coastal 'rollback' cash receives mixed reactions

1 day ago

Andrew Turner

BBC News, Norfolk

Reporting fromThe Marrams, Hemsby

Properties in Hemsby are at ongoing risk of coastal erosion

Andrew Turner/BBC A beach following storms, with granite blocks against the foot of the sandy cliffs. The sea is lapping against the rocks. There is temporary fencing at the top of the cliff. — Properties in Hemsby are at ongoing risk of coastal erosion

Residents at risk of losing their homes to coastal erosion have told the BBC they are not sure a "rollback" scheme will help them find new places to live.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council's cabinet voted on Tuesday to accept the Environment Agency grant that would help develop alternative land for homeowners who face being displaced.

The £1.6m will be used to cover the demolition costs of their existing homes and transfer planning rights to a new site.

James Bensly, whose borough council ward includes Hemsby, said: "If we hadn't had this [funding], the residents would be in a worse state than they are now."

James Bensly says the money has not taken the focus away from lobbying government for rock defences

Andrew Turner/BBC A man with short brown hair that is slightly receding and a goatee beard. He is wearing a blue shirt, with a blue casual jacket over it. He is standing in front of the Beach Cafe. Next to it is the Hemsby Lifeboat Shop. — James Bensly says the money has not taken the focus away from lobbying government for rock defences

The fund, which will be for residential properties only, will not be used as compensation for the estimated 30 households on The Marrams, who would have to buy new homes on the yet-to-be-identified site.

Bensly – who owns the Beach Cafe, which is the nearest business to the village's eroding coastline – said people whose homes were under threat could effectively sell the planning rights of their homes back to the council, allowing the authority to transfer those rights to a new plot of land.

The councillor added: "What we are talking about is a lump sum to the residents for them to explore all possibilities themselves. We can't tell them what to do or how to do it."

David and Marion Pegg are doubtful they will be able to afford a home on a new development

Andrew Turner/BBC A man with white hair wearing a blue polo shirt. He is standing next to a woman with greying, long curly hair to below the shoulder. She has glasses on her head and a black bag strap over her shoulder, and she is wearing a thin-strapped vest top. Behind them are hedges and trees, and part of a gravel driveway. — David and Marion Pegg are doubtful they will be able to afford a home on a new development

David Pegg, 84, who has dementia, and his wife Marion, 71, are worried that if they are forced to leave their home, they will not have enough money to buy one of the properties built for those affected.

"How would we afford somewhere else? You put your money into your home and that is your home," said Mrs Pegg.

"You can't just suddenly up roots and build another house at our age. I think [this scheme] isn't any good for us, personally."

Bensly said: "In a perfect world we would love fishtail groynes to help the beach mature and become more healthy by catching all of the [sand], but this is one of the only things that's possible at the moment."

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