Taylor Vinters - Solicitors

Every winter storms bring about the loss of more houses claimed by the sea due to coastal erosion. One such place is Happisburgh in North Norfolk, where after the storms of December 2005, a row of houses were left dangerously close to the cliff edge.  In fact, Happisburgh has lost approximately 26 properties to the sea since 1990 and DEFRA believes that up to 200 homes could be lost to the sea over the next 20 years due to climate change, rising sea levels and further coastal erosion along the English coastline.

The problems in Happisburgh seemed to start in the early nineties when the revetments, the barriers built to keep the sea at bay and used to provide protection for the cliffs were destroyed and the sea started to erode the land. Revetment maintenance was then abandoned and the situation continued to get worse. Unfortunately, plans for new defences failed due to cost implications. It was felt that it might not be economically viable to defend such properties and the analysis was made as to the value of a property under threat where the value of the property had to be greater than the cost of protecting the coastal defence.

Due to the coastal erosion homeowners have been left in a very precarious position as their property has become valueless with no hope of being insured. There is also no compensation and currently homeowners whose houses are about to fall into the sea must pay for them to be demolished in order to make them safe at a cost of £3,000 - £5,000.  Alternative Council accommodation should be provided.

Now there is some good news ahead for such homeowners where property is likely to be lost to the sea in the form of a grant to cover demolition and moving costs, under a new proposal published by the Government. The scheme proposed by DEFRA puts the proposals out for consultation and has also launched a £11 million fund for local authorities to test out to help the communities where there is a likelihood of coastal erosion.  The proposal from the Government is that it would grant up to £1,000 to help homeowners losing their properties to the sea move house funded out of the Coastal Change Fund.  Homeowners could also be able to sell their properties to the local authority and then lease them back to prevent buildings threatened by coastal erosion being neglected or abandoned.  The Consultation runs until September so watch this space . .

For further information please contact Camilla East on 01223 225203.