Nearly £250,000 has been allocated to help save Hemsby's eroding coastline.

A storm surge over the weekend has seen the village's dunes crumble, moving several homes closer to the sea.

Hemsby Independent Lifeboat has been left currently out of action for offshore callouts, a six-foot sheer drop has left access to the beach prohibited, and a powerline post which teeters on a cliff edge is to be removed.

 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Drone images showing the severe erosion at Hemsby. Picture - Luke MartinDrone images showing the severe erosion at Hemsby. Picture - Luke Martin (Image: Luke Martin)

Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader Carl Smith said: "Our thoughts are with the family who has been placed at risk because of the weekend’s surge tide

"My officers have worked hard to ensure that they are safe. I visited the lifeboat station this weekend to see the damage done to the access route here and what can be done to support them. 

"I know that this surge tide has impacted other communities along the Norfolk and Suffolk coast. We are extremely vulnerable to coastal erosion along the east coast and we are doing all we can for the community and businesses in Hemsby to find ways forward to reduce that risk."

At last week's Great Yarmouth Borough Council full meeting £235,000 was allocated to provide a solution against Hemby's waning coastline.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader Carl Smith. Picture - NewsquestGreat Yarmouth Borough Council leader Carl Smith. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Archant)

In April 2022, the council gave planning permission for Hemsby to build a 1,300m rock berm to protect its dunes

A council spokesperson said: "The permissions required to build such a scheme are almost complete, and the work can be moved forward as soon as funding is found. 

"However, funding for a scheme of this nature is challenging to obtain."

While the scheme is expected to cost in the region of £15m, the council spokesperson said around £2.5m will be available from government grants in aid. But other funding will need to be found.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: A Hemsby resident lost 10 feet of her back garden to erosion over the weekend. Picture - Sonya DuncanA Hemsby resident lost 10 feet of her back garden to erosion over the weekend. Picture - Sonya Duncan (Image: Sonya Duncan)

"Coastal Partnership East is working to explore all possible funding options, but this is more challenging with inflation and the rising cost of materials," the spokesperson added.

"While sourcing funding for the wider scheme is challenging to secure, the council knows that additional support is needed for this community."

The council spokesperson said a further £500,000 of local levy funding has been allocated by the Anglian (Eastern) Regional Flood and Coastal Committee for "some small-scale protection this year". It is said the protection will be similar to that seen in Pakefield over the last three months.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Paul Wells, chair of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Environment Select Committee. Picture - GYBCPaul Wells, chair of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Environment Select Committee. Picture - GYBC (Image: Great Yarmouth Borough Council)

Paul Wells, chair of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's environment select committee, said: "We are hopeful of securing a short-term solution to help protect the homes that remain most vulnerable and the extremely important access road. 

"We have most of the funding, but we need landowners and businesses to come forward to help us close that funding gap

"To secure protection similar to Pakefield, which will make a significant difference in Hemsby, would need at least £1m. 

"The recent weather further highlighted how important the short-term solution is for our community here.

"But it takes time to get something in place, we need to order the rock and transport it here. The earlier we can get this started the better.”

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis. Picture - PAGreat Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis. Picture - PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Over the weekend, Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis spoke with Mr Smith and Mr Wells, as well as Hemsby councillors James Bensly and Noel Galer about options available to save the village's coastline.

Mr Lewis said: "I share the sadness of many residents when seeing the images of further substantial erosion along the Hemsby coastline. 

"I was heartened to hear the council is still pursuing an interim solution to which they allocated approximately £250,000 as part of the most recent budget, as we collectively work to secure funding for the larger scheme.

"I will continue to highlight this issue in parliament, to government ministers and the appropriate public agencies."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Drone images show the severe erosion at Hemsby. Picture - Luke MartinDrone images show the severe erosion at Hemsby. Picture - Luke Martin (Image: Luke Martin)