Roadshows to hear fears

27 September 2007

COMMUNITIES threatened by the sea have a chance to air their views to council officials in a series of meetings already under way across the borough.

Council engineers are staging the roadshows to explain the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) in village halls and listen to feedback from people worried about unprotected homes tumbling into the sea, ruining established holiday villages like Scratby.

The resort could lose up to 150 homes over the next 100 years under the current SMP, which calls for “no active intervention” at Scratby where a coastal erosion group is pressing for beefed up rock defences and long-term protection under the “managed retreat” umbrella.

Erosion group secretary Jim Bratton said compensation was an issue and that the borough council's proviso insisting on social justice “where possible” for those adversely affected lacked teeth.

He described the latest round of consultation as “the culmination of something we did not want to happen.”

Environmental service manager Simon Mutten said: “The important thing to get across is that this is a listening exercise, it's not a debate about the Shoreline Management Plan.

“The plan purely looks at the mechanics of what the options are, using cost benefit ratio and things like that.

“The meetings are an information gathering exercise. It's another opportunity for people to reinforce their views which we will

collate.”

He added: “It takes into account the whole of the coastline. So what it is saying is the domino effect - if you do something in one place it has an effect somewhere else in terms of how sand and sediment move down the coastline.

“There's no way that Defra would even have the money to have rock defences right the way from Sheringham to Lowestoft. It just wouldn't happen.”

Officials said although Hopton's meeting on Monday was not well attended, they received some useful feedback that would be presented

to members.

Winterton and Ormesby are joining up in the Village Centre, Ormesby, on Monday at 7pm.

Hemsby's meeting is also on Monday at 7pm in the village hall. Caister's will be on October 8 (venue unconfirmed) and a meeting for Gorleston and Yarmouth is at the council chamber in the town hall on Thursday at 7pm.

Cabinet member for the environment Jim Shrimplin said; “This will be a listening exercise by the council, with the views expressed being collated for consideration by members as part of deciding our approach to Defra in respect of

the plans adoption, particularly

with regard to ensuring social justice.”

Somerton has already demanded that nearby sea defences should

be maintained to protect villagers.

On Tuesday night, the parish

council said it strongly objected to the

SMP and pressed for adequate compensation for anyone who loses their home to floods or erosion.