The shadow minister for the environment has pledged that a Labour government would 'open the door' for funding for sea defences in Hemsby.
Steve Reed, shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, visited the erosion-hit village on the Norfolk coast today.
He met local campaigners and visited the beach, where diggers were removing parts of the road, south of the Gap, which collapsed last week following overnight erosion.
Mr Reed said: "I was aware of the situation in Hemsby, but it's one thing to hear about it, it's quite another to come here and see it for yourself."
The MP for Croydon North met people who have lost their homes and the owners of businesses which are under threat.
He said: "It brings home to you the scale of the problem, and I completely understand why people are worried. My heart goes out to them."
READ MORE: Cliffs at Hemsby washed into sea during overnight erosion
Next week, members of Save Hemsby Coastline (SHC) and the Hemsby Lifeboat crew will bring a petition, already signed by 20,000 people, to the prime minister.
They are asking the government to change their criteria on how they decide to grant money for sea defences - with costs for a rock berm estimated at at least £15m.
Last October, ahead of Storm Babet, the government told the village it was "not eligible" for funding via a Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid (FDGIA).
At the time, a joint statement from Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), Coastal Partnership East (the council’s coastal management team), Great Yarmouth MP Sir Brandon Lewis, and Norfolk County Council said the cost and scale of the proposed rock berm would only attract FDGIA where hundreds of homes are at risk.
READ MORE: Drone photos show extent of erosion along Hemsby coast
But Mr Reed said a Labour government would change the criteria around applying for funding, so that it would include the impact of hospitality and tourism, an estimated £80m a year in Hemsby.
He said there is currently £5bn in funding for flood and sea defences but the money is not being properly allocated.
"Hemsby is an incredible, beautiful area and it deserves its future back, but for as long as the people who own their businesses and their homes here are not allowed to even bid for funding to tackle the coastal erosion then that future is obliterated," he said.
"My job if we're elected into government will simply be to open the door so they can make a bid for the funding that will be required to stop the very rapid coastal erosion that's putting at risk their futures."
Another pledge - which lifted the hopes of local campaigers - was the establishment of a national resilience task force.
This would involve Cobra-style emergency meetings ahead of storms, working with the Environment Agency to allocate funding for flood and sea defences, and making sure the money is spent efficiently and effectively.
Simon Measures, chairman of Save Hemsby Coastline, said that Mr Reed had "come down with some ideas and answers" and that the visit was "something positive".
"We felt very let down when we were told last year, before a storm, we were not going to get funding. We felt abandoned.
"So it's great to see some interest today.
"It's just down to the will to change one box on one spreadsheet to get the funding we need," he added.
Campaigners say the conditions for getting funding are "fundamentally flawed" and the Environment Agency should take into account the money which Hemsby brings into the economy through tourism.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here