Five clifftop homes to be demolished in Norfolk village blighted by erosion
Demolition workers are preparing to pull down five clifftop homes in a village which is set to be impacted by coastal erosion.
Last month high tides and strong wind prompted the collapse of a stretch of private access road in Hemsby in Norfolk. According to Great Yarmouth Borough Council, several properties in The Marrams in Hemsby went on to be inspected, and it was decided that five should be demolished.
The authority stated that this decision was taken with the owner's permission and because the homes are "not structurally sound and are unsafe". The council stated the demolition company will undertake the work, which is due to start this weekend. Work will last for at least four days, because the tides limit the number of hours each day which it can be carried out for.
Demolition workers are preparing themselves to pull down five clifftop homes in Hemsby (Terry Harris)Wrecking machines on the beach will be required to undertake demolitions because of the loss of the access road, and material will be required to be removed from the beach by tipper truck. Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, told The Daily Mail: "While we have known for some considerable time that more properties were at risk from erosion, this remains an extremely difficult time for those people who are losing their homes.
"Our thoughts are with those affected and our staff have been working hard to provide support and welfare for those who need it. Unfortunately, continued erosion on this stretch of coastline is inevitable and we are working hard with our partners and other agencies to work out how we best adapt to the changing shape of our coast in the coming years."
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The council has warned that the demolition would be a "complex task" and access in the area will be restricted, as members of the public must avoid the beach for safety reasons. The access road will be closed, as well as the footpath in the area.
Officers have been collaborating with residents to provide support and housing options, and staff have been looking for appropriate accommodation for those who require it. While demolition work is happening, extra work will allow access to get rid of a small number of vehicles and a caravan which were discarded when part of the access road was lost.
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