Brian Hardisty, chairman of the Hopton Coastal Action Group and Parish councillor, has threatened to invoke the Human Rights Act after proposals for a new Shoreline Management Plan revealed it would lose five houses at Hopton in the next 50 years (one being Mr Hardisty's).
Picture: James Bass
‘Rights at risk’ in Hopton sea plans
By BEN WOODS, reporter
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
12:22 PM
Human rights will be breached if Great Yarmouth Borough Council fails to protect more than a dozen cliff-top homes and businesses from the ocean.
"If they are going to hold the line in Gorleston, then why not in Hopton? It’s discrimination."
That is the view of Brian Hardisty whose Hopton home will be engulfed with 14 houses and two holiday companies if the Kelling to Lowestoft Ness Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is approved.
His warning comes after plans revealed sea defences at Yarmouth and Gorleston would be maintained, while parts of Hopton would be allowed to fall into the sea.
It is a recommendation he believes breaches Article 14 (discrimination) of the Human Rights Act 1998.
The plans will see five seafront properties, Bourne Leisure and the Potters Leisure resort lost to the sea by 2055. Meanwhile, 15 properties will be lost by 2105.
Hopton beach July 2011But the borough council has made clear that nothing has been decided yet.
Mr Hardisty, a Hopton parish councillor and chairman of Hopton Costal Action Group, said: “If they are going to hold the line in Gorleston, then why not in Hopton? It’s discrimination.
“If I had the financial backing then I would take the council to European Court of Human Rights for breaching the Article 14 (discrimination) of the Human Rights Act.
“The sea defences will be allowed to fail at Hopton because it is not financially viable to do anything about it. Yet, Hopton brings in revenue of £10m to the local economy each year, plus 1,000 jobs from holiday resorts.”
“That is reason enough to save it from going into the sea. The businesses and the properties of this village deserve a policy of hold the line and nothing else will do.”
The recommendations for Hopton is to allow the coast to retreat through a policy of managed realignment once the sea defences fail.
But during a Hopton Parish Council meeting on Monday night, council representatives and a coastal experts revealed the policy would be investigated through a £250,000 strategic review funded by DEFRA and the Environment Agency.
The 18-month strategy review will identify a programme of work to be carried out along the coastline as well as taking into account compensation for people who lose their homes.
Meanwhile, criticisms were aimed at Paul Patterson of Costal and Land Drainage Team during the meeting after claims erosion predictions had failed to identify the speed of Hopton’s erosion.
He said: “You mention the errors on erosion, but it is an estimate. There are so many things which can influence the speed of erosion. It was the best effort we could make but sometimes that is wrong. It is a clear example of the uncertainty we can face.
“We are not here to give you something to run kicking and screaming away from.
“I would like us to come together as a team to try and solve the problem of costal management.”
The Kelling to Lowestoft Ness Shoreline Management Plan is expected to go before the borough council in the near future.
Leader of the borough council, Steve Ames, said: “In order to attain approval for, or bid for funding to preserve the current coastal defences or to build more defences, we have to have an agreed Shoreline Management Plan in place.
“The plan does not dictate the strategy we are to specifically take for respective areas.
“That is to be done through the next phase of the Coastal Strategy review – which we are to produce in partnership with Waveney District Council.”
“It is the strategy that would take any decision around adapting to coastal change. No decisions have been take therefore – as the review of the Strategy has not been completed.
The results of HM Walligford study funded by Bourne Leisure, based in Hopton, into the impact of Yarmouth’s Outer Harbour on Hopton Beach is to revealed in the new year.
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12 comments
bookworm these are peoples homes we are talking about.
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ALED
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Castle's on his 'not on Labour's watch' rotuine....Well sorry mate,it doesnt cut anything with us voters.
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wes1975
Thursday, December 15, 2011
People have short memories. The last Labour Government gave the Borough Council millions to construct sea defence reefs off Gorleston beach but thanks to a strong local campaign by Yachting interests etc. the money had to be sent back. The fragile balance of nature on this coast was there before the Outer Harbour - remember that Gortleston Beach itself virtually disappeared in the 1980s - now restored of course. No good blaming East Port!
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Mick Castle
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Dear Mr Hardisty, I do believe it is my human right not to have to pay extra taxes to save your home. I do believe you have the human right to pay the money yourself if you want to. Yours Sincerely, expat.
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expat
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
@bookworm Natures course as been altered by the man made Outer Harbour
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nut&bolt man
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
i feel sea sick reading this....
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Ocean? And don't think "...whose Hopton home will be engulfed with 14 houses and two holiday companies" is quite what they mean...
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Kenco
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
All this has happened due to the Outer harbour being built.Locals and knowedgedable people told the Council and other parties this was going to happen and it has.A Public Enquiry is needed to sort this mess out.The councillors past and present involved with this white elephant are suddenly quiet....why is this? This whole epsiode sickens and disgusts me so much.I feel so angry that this has not been thoroughly gone over by independant investigators and the parties involved charged.
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wes1975
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Outer Harbour has ensured that the beach at Gorleston will in a few years time be out beyond the pier heading. The beaches at Hopton and Corton on the other hand will continue to be eroded. It comes down to hard economics at the end of the day. The only way to return to the status quo is to dismantle the Outer Harbour. That isn`t going to happen. And are you going to spend a lot of money, and I mean a lot of money, year on year to protect a small part of the coastline. Bit of a no brainer really. It really is one of those cases of, "we are where we are," and there is no going back.
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BG
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Ocean? And don't think "...whose Hopton home will be engulfed with 14 houses and two holiday companies" is quite what they mean...
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Kenco
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
its nice to see people like brian standing up and being counted. What you have got to realise is that this goverment and the last is more concerned with the human rights of terrorists , .asylum seekers and criminals rather than its own people
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running bear
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
always-com-pen -say-shun. logically--let them crumble and nature takes its course.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011