No plans for new sea defences at Happisburgh says council

Villagers whose homes are now on the frontline of a losing war against nature say around 10 metres of the cliff has been lost to the North Sea in storms already this winter.

But although locals want to fight on to save their homes, officers at North Norfolk District Council appear to have waved the white flag of surrender – with no plans to build new sea defences to protect the crumbling coastline.

The council has said the existing rock armour on the beach was only meant to slow down the rate of erosion and “buy time” for the village, but investing in new defences is “not realistically feasible” due to affordability.

Erosion at Happisburgh (Image: Nicola Bayless)

Rob Goodliffe, manager of Coastwise - a North Norfolk District Council initiative managing erosion – said: “The strategic policy for the coast at Happisburgh has for many years been to seek to slow erosion where it is possible to do so, but also seek to support the community to adapt and prepare for coastal change.  

“Sea defences that stop erosion entirely at Happisburgh are not realistically feasible as it would be technically challenging when considering the wider environmental impacts and affordability. 

“We have and can slow erosion, and this is currently the approach, but there is a need to transition and adapt to coastal erosion that has occurred in this location for thousands of years.”

Rock armour at Happisburgh beach (Image: Denise Bradley)

READ MORE: Woman whose bungalow fell into the sea now 'terrified' her new home is next

Over the next 100 years, it is predicted that more than 1,000 homes will be lost to erosion in north Norfolk. 

Low-level sea defences were constructed along the north Norfolk coast between the 1950s and 70s, but they were only designed with a lifespan of 20 to 30 years.

However, by 2009 the defences were in a state of decay.

Nicola Bayless, whose home in Beach Road is next in line to be lost to the sea, claims building new defences has “never been in the council’s plans”.

Nicola Bayless, who lives in Beach Road, Happisburgh (Image: Adam Barker)

“It’s shocking that they’re just letting it happen and they’re not doing anything about it,” she said.

“I know I’m doomed. I’m going to lose my house this year and I just want to get out as soon as possible.

“I never thought this would happen when I moved in 20 years ago, but the reality is now upon me.

“I’d love to stay here in Happisburgh, but I want to have a home I know I’m safe in.”

READ MORE: Happisburgh mum fears home could soon be lost to the sea

The ramp down to Happisburgh beach has been closed since December last year after storm tides, heavy rain and high winds eroded the base of the access route.

The beach access ramp remains closed at Happisburgh (Image: Denise Bradley)

The council has pledged to rebuild it but has said this could be put on hold for months until drier conditions allow work to take place.

Currently, the beach can only be accessed via Cart Gap south of the village or Walcott to the north. Each are about 1.5 miles from the village.

READ MORE: Access to Norfolk beach could be closed for months after storm damages ramp again

In 2009, the council received £3 million from the government’s UK Coastal Change Pathfinder programme, which it used to buy nine at-risk properties on Beach Road, paying owners the market value of their homes before demolishing them as part of a ‘rollback’ strategy.

The clifftop car park near the village's famous lighthouse was also pushed back, and the public toilets, which were claimed by the sea, were rebuilt.

Access to the car park via Beach Road will soon be cut-off, and plans to build another new car park even further inland have now been given the green light, with an access road off Lighthouse Lane.  

Erosion could soon cut off access to the Beach Road car park (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The plans will be built in stages, with the access road built first, and the new car park is unlikely to open until the existing one has been rendered unusable by erosion.