Home left metres from cliff edge after landslip in village with scrapped defence scheme

Residents of Hemsby fear more homes would be lost to the sea

A cliff fall has left a home perched on the edge - as a coastal village faces risk of erosion by a scrapped defence scheme.

Residents of Hemsby in Norfolk have faced an uncertain future for many years with nearly 100 homes at risk - but claim the situation is now at crisis point.

Drone pictures show how close a new home came from tumbling into the sea by the latest cliff fall - with all hopes for a reprieve now seemingly scrapped by the government.

Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, Sir Brandon Lewis, along with local authorities, said earlier this week that Hemsby did not qualify for "sufficient government funding" to allow sea defences to progress.

It is thought the original proposed £15 million needed for the project, which was granted planning permission, had risen to about £20 million due to inflation.

Residents of Hemsby said they now feared more homes would be lost to the sea, with storm surges predicted over the coming days.

Lance Martin’s house in Hemsby (PA)

Lance Martin, 65, first pulled his home back from the cliff edge in 2018 after he lost 40 metres of his back garden to erosion.

The retiree said: "The overwhelming feeling amongst the neighbours is one of despair. I keep a smile on my face.

Houses close to the cliff edge at Hemsby in Norfolk pictured on Saturday (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

"I haven’t broken down yet. I crack on with it - there’s nobody to blame, you just have to accept it and move on."

Ian Brennan, 63, the chairman of Save Hemsby Coastline, has been campaigning for 10 years to ensure the future of those living in the danger zone.

Several homes have been demolished at Hemsby (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

He said: "Hemsby is suffering.

"Seeing what has happened and knowing if nothing is done it is going to happen to you must be a terrifying prospect.

"The authorities know what needs to be done and it’s only political will and the inaction of the landowners and the absence of funding that makes their loss pretty inevitable.

"The last study showed that 92 homes are at risk if nothing is done. How much does Hemsby need to bleed before something is done?"