Human rights will be breached if Great Yarmouth Borough Council fails to protect more than a dozen cliff-top homes and businesses from the ocean.

That is the view of Brian Hardisty whose Hopton home will be engulfed with 14 houses and two holiday companies if the Kelling to Lowestoft Ness Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is approved.

His warning comes after plans revealed sea defences at Yarmouth and Gorleston would be maintained, while parts of Hopton would be allowed to fall into the sea.

It is a recommendation he believes breaches Article 14 (discrimination) of the Human Rights Act 1998.

The plans will see five seafront properties, Bourne Leisure and the Potters Leisure resort lost to the sea by 2055. Meanwhile, 15 properties will be lost by 2105.

But the borough council has made clear that nothing has been decided yet.

Mr Hardisty, 55, a Hopton parish councillor and chairman of Hopton Costal Action Group, said: “If they are going to hold the line in Gorleston, then why not in Hopton? It’s discrimination.

“If I had the financial backing then I would take the council to European Court of Human Rights for breaching the Article 14 (discrimination) of the Human Rights Act.

“The sea defences will be allowed to fail at Hopton because it is not financially viable to do anything about it. Yet, Hopton brings in revenue of £10m to the local economy each year, plus 1,000 jobs from holiday resorts.”

“That is reason enough to save it from going into the sea. The businesses and the properties of this village deserve a policy of hold the line and nothing else will do.”

The recommendations for Hopton is to allow the coast to retreat through a policy of managed realignment once the sea defences fail.

But during a Hopton Parish Council meeting on Monday night, council representatives and a coastal experts revealed the policy would be investigated through a £250,000 strategic review funded by DEFRA and the Environment Agency.

The 18-month strategy review will identify a programme of work to be carried out along the coastline as well as taking into account compensation for people who lose their homes.

Meanwhile, criticisms were aimed at Paul Patterson of Costal and Land Drainage Team during the meeting after claims erosion predictions had failed to identify the speed of Hopton’s erosion.

He said: “You mention the errors on erosion, but it is an estimate. There are so many things which can influence the speed of erosion. It was the best effort we could make but sometimes that is wrong. It is a clear example of the uncertainty we can face.

“We are not here to give you something to run kicking and screaming away from.

“I would like us to come together as a team to try and solve the problem of costal management.”

The Kelling to Lowestoft Ness Shoreline Management Plan is expected to go before the borough council in the near future.

Leader of the borough council, Steve Ames, said: “In order to attain approval for, or bid for funding to preserve the current coastal defences or to build more defences, we have to have an agreed Shoreline Management Plan in place.

“The plan does not dictate the strategy we are to specifically take for respective areas.

“That is to be done through the next phase of the Coastal Strategy review – which we are to produce in partnership with Waveney District Council.”

“It is the strategy that would take any decision around adapting to coastal change. No decisions have been take therefore – as the review of the Strategy has not been completed.

The results of HM Walligford study funded by Bourne Leisure, based in Hopton, into the impact of Yarmouth’s Outer Harbour on Hopton Beach is to revealed in the new year.

Story by Ben Woods in the Eastern Daily Press

Hopton is aiming to swing a breaker’s ball through a coastal defence plan which suggests no defence.

Leaflets will be dropping on to more than 1,000 doormats urging villagers to take a stand against the Government’s Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) at a public meeting at Potters Leisure Resort on Thursday.

Its suggestion to abandon a huge stretch of the coast to the sea has caused a storm of protest. But Brian Hardisty, chairman of Hopton Coastal Action Group, says not enough people have woken up to the implications of the plan on house prices and the damage it could do to the tourist industry.

He said a flurry of information drop-in sessions, including one at Sea Palling on Tuesday and at Great Yarmouth Town Hall on Wednesday this week were too low-key and unbalanced in that there was no opportunity for debate or to hear conflicting views.

The SMP has already been rejected once by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and is currently up for review.

Mr Hardisty said: “The meeting is to discuss the SMP for Hopton which has not been changed from what it was three years ago which is no active intervention in the medium and long term. Once the SMP is accepted by the borough council it is going to be there for 100 years.

“Campaigner Malcolm Kerby told me that under no circumstances should the SMP be accepted by the borough council because there is nothing in place to stop things sliding in to the sea. Most people in the village have never heard of the SMP. Council representatives are coming to explain it to people. We have to create interest because once it’s a deal and is accepted it is a done deal.”

Bernard Harris and Tim Howard will represent the borough council at the meeting. MP Brandon Lewis will be at Westminster and is sending a representative.

The meeting is in the Zest Rooms at Potters on Thursday at 7pm.

Brian Hardisty can be contacted at brianhardisty@btinternet.com .

Story in the Lowestoft Journal

It is an aerial picture that evokes the full force of the North Sea – its waves breaking against a vulnerable cliff-face.

And it is one that makes it all too clear why residents in Corton, to the south, and Hopton, to the north of this stretch of coastline between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, are increasingly anxious about the future.

Their concerns were voiced to the minister for marine and natural environment Huw Irranca-Davies when he visited the area on Monday and saw the depleted beach at Hopton and crumbling sea defences at the northern end of Corton.

And in the week it was revealed that Covehithe, south of Lowestoft, could disappear into the sea within 40 years, the sentiments in Hopton were summed up by Brian Potter, who runs the five-star Potters Leisure Resort on the clifftop.

He said: “The beach has suffered massive erosion. Steel revetments that are part of the sea defences have been exposed and when the sea rots through that, we will have nothing to protect us.

“Losing properties in the village is not something to concern my generation, but it might be a worry for my grandson Harry Potter unless he can work his magic.”

The shoreline management plan (SMP), a revised version of which will shortly be published for consultation, recommends that the concrete seawall running from Corton to Hopton will not be replaced when it crumbles within the next two decades and, under a policy of no active intervention, it predicts properties being lost within about 50 years.

However, Brian Hardisty, chairman of Hopton’s coastal action group, raised the fear that such time estimates could be hopelessly wide of the mark.

“The concrete sea defences at the Corton end were supposed to last 15 to 20 years and they started failing in three years,” he said.

“That comes all the way to Hopton and that’s the big worry. If nothing is done, the sea defences will fail and then it is a matter of time how many properties will be lost – five, 15, 30 – the estimates are not a science.”

The fears of villagers have been heightened by the startling rate of beach loss, which they blame on changing currents caused by the building of Yarmouth’s outer harbour.

In Corton, the concerns are even more pressing, with the SMP only proposing to defend the main village until 2025 and predicting that crumbling defences after that time could mean the loss of 40 to 50 properties, including most of the infrastructure on the seaward side of The Street, by 2075.

It is believed that a revision to the SMP – consultation on which is likely to start next month – will offer no more comfort.

Corton’s Waveney district councillor David Coulam said there was already a lot of concern being expressed by residents and local businessmen.

“People are looking at their property and wondering what it is going to be worth in a few years’ time,” he said.

Story by Stephen Pullinger in the Eastern Daily Press

COASTAL erosion campaigners were left with mixed feelings following the visit of a high-powered government official to hear their concerns and ideas.

Minister for marine and natural environment Huw Irranca-Davies MP dropped in at various sites along the Norfolk coast to find out more about plans to defend the shoreline from an encroaching sea.

One of the areas visited was Hopton, to which he had been specifically invited by Tony Wright MP.

Here, he heard first hand about the fierce debate surrounding a report released by the borough council last week saying that the outer harbour was not to blame for Hopton’s rapidly-dwindling beaches, as well as erosion-fighting suggestions such as the creation of an artificial reef.

Brian Hardisty, chairman of the Hopton coastal action group was among those voicing concerns to the minister and was reassured that Mr Irranca-Davies had promised to do what he could for the area.

He said: “I was satisfied with him coming and in terms of the reception we got we couldn’t hoped for any better. He could be the man who can do something for us if they still are in power after the next election.”

However, fellow member of the erosion group and master mariner Barry Collingwood said that though the visit was positive in that it had brought the issue to wider public attention, nothing concrete had emerged from it.

Also urging action sooner rather than later was prominent business man Brian Potter, whose leisure resort overlooks the sea. He said:

“It’s very good that the minister came to see the problems we’re facing since the outer harbour was built but whether or not in the due course of time something will be done remains to be seen.

Something does need to be done because if it’s not then the ground that we’re standing on could be gone.”

As part of his visit Mr Irranca-Davies also visited Scratby, where he discussed the Pathfinder project for which the borough council has been awarded nearly £300,000.

The money, which comes from a national pot, is designed to encourage new approaches to the problem of coastal erosion specifically in that area.

Mr Irranca-Davies emphasised the importance of including the community in the process, and of considering ‘soft’ defences like buy-to let schemes.

He said: “It’s one thing to look at maps but it’s another to come out and meet the people involved. This is about making sure we have as many tools in the toolbox as possible to deal with this situation.”

The minister also reassured the Scratby coastal erosion group that their efforts to extend the rock berm defences by 1km from California would not be compromised by the Pathfinder project.

These reassurances follow the announcement in January by borough council coastal manager Bernard Harris that he was confident that the £3.1m berm defences, which would protect hundred of homes, were likely to become a reality.

Jim Bratton, secretary for the Scratby coastal erosion group said: “We’re always very pleased to see senior government ministers showing an interest and it gives us hope for the future.”

Story by John Owens in the Great Yarmouth Mercury

Watch the video on BBC Look East

A MEETING aimed at shedding light on the coastal erosion debate at Hopton has fanned the flames of the controversy and lead to accusations of a whitewash.

Senior officials were at the village hall on Monday to reveal the findings of a controversial report looking at how the outer harbour had affected the rate of beach depletion.

Campaigners – who say the port is fuelling erosion – were told their views were not backed up by a beach monitoring survey, triggering sighs of disbelief among some of those listening.

The beach monitoring study’s conclusions were read out to a hall packed with more than 70 members of the public by Great Yarmouth Borough Council executive director for the economy and environment Peter Hardy, at Hopton’s parish council meeting.

While accepting there had been a dramatic change to Hopton’s beach, Mr Hardy said such changes were down to long term cycles along the coastline.

He added: “There is as yet no significant impact from the construction of the outer harbour. It doesn’t mean there will be no impact- it’s merely to date.”

Those at the meeting heard that at least twice yearly surveys would be carried out until 2017 when, if no sign of a direct impact was detected, they would probably end. However if the outer harbour was found to be accelerating erosion, then Great Yarmouth Port Company would be responsible for making amends.

During a heated public questioning of Mr Hardy and Bernard Harris, coastal manager for the council, a number of concerns were raised questioning the report’s conclusions.

Brian Hardisty, chairman of Hopton Coastal Action Group, questioned the independence of HR Wallingford who carried out the study, but were also involved in the development and planning of the outer harbour.

He said: “This report isn’t independent – HR Wallingford is a company which the international port holders have spent a lot of money with – there’s a conflict of interest here and this report should be thrown out by the borough council.”

As well as denying this, the borough representatives denied that a recent resizing of the outer harbour would have changed the findings of the report, and that an error made in monitoring over beach measurements had impacted on the results.

And while members of the public repeatedly cited their first hand experience of watching the beach shrink in recent years on a day-to-day basis, suggestions that more regular monitoring was needed were refuted.

Also in the spotlight were protection schemes for Hopton in the long term.

Mr Harris said that erosion, rather than flooding, was the main issue in the area, and that a decision regarding funding for a review of current schemes along the coast and a look at solutions would be made in April by the Environment Agency.

He went on to reject the need for immediate work and emphasised that emergency works, which could be implemented in a shorter time frame, might not get such funding.

Mr Harris said: “There’s no guarantee we will be reimbursed for such works on Hopton, which could come in the region of £600,000, and the funding would have to be borne by the local authority – and that means council tax payers.”

Following the report, Mr Hardisty said: “We expected a whitewash and that is what we got. We are not disappointed. We got what we expected. It was never going to be their fault.”

A meeting will be held on Monday in Hopton between a senior minister, Tony Wright MP and representatives from local coastal groups looking at the severe changes to Hopton’s beach and the broader efforts to protect the coastline.

Mr Wright said: “I’m not saying it is the harbour that’s doing it but the change to the beach at Hopton has been profound and if it’s a case it just happens to be a coincidence it’s one hell of a coincidence – quite clearly people will be sceptical about the conclusions of the report.”

Story by John Owens in the Great Yarmouth Mercury

Hopton villagers campaigning to save their homes from the North Sea have formed an action group to battle for money for defences – and plan to “go for the jugular”.

Brian Hardisty, chairman of the new Hopton Coastal Action Group, said the nine-member committee wanted the government to maintain rather than abandon sea defences and had formed arguments to support its position.

He added that clifftop housing worth an estimated £5m plus two holiday villages were at stake, and said he was unconvinced by statistics predicting the rate of erosion which were already well out, concrete defences near Corton having failed within three years and not the predicted 15-20 years.

Mr Hardisty said the committee’s first tasks were to:

Write to Great Yarmouth Borough Council managing director Richard Packham squarely laying the blame for beach depletion with the council and EastPort.

Ask to see a report from EastPort, concerning the impact of the Yarmouth outer harbour works on surrounding areas, that was rejected by the borough council because it was not in the correct format.

Mr Hardisty said the aim was “to go for the jugular” to win the best deal for the village. Forming an action group was especially important now to force people in authority to change their minds about the Shoreline Management Plan, which at present only called for a “hold-the-line” policy on defences in the short term and no active intervention in the medium and long term.

He believes building a rock berm or artificial reef would be cheaper in the long run than buying back properties, adding: “Why can’t they make a positive commitment now which will stabilise house prices?

More about the group from Mr Hardisty on 01502 732868.

Story in the Great Yarmouth Mercury

CAMPAIGNERS are making waves in their battle to protect Hopton’s seaside community from erosion.

Clifftop resident Brian Hardisty says officials have played down the effect of the outer harbour on the shrinking sands and is seeking answers, possibly by making a Freedom of Information request to see “secret” documents.

Mr Hardisty wants to set up an independent coastal erosion group to challenge the Shoreline Management Plan which is being revised this year.

So far enough people have come forward to form a committee, but as word was spreading more village folk were becoming concerned, he said.

On Saturday Great Yarmouth MP Tony Wright visited Hopton beach to see for himself the scale of depletion and also to discuss erosion problems with the clifftop residents.

Mr Wright described as an “eye-opener” his visit to the shingly stretch, adding: “I knew there were some difficulties down there but quite clearly something needs to be done about it. I will be contacting various agencies.

“They claim it’s happened since the harbour has been built and if that is the case we need to find a solution and get the beach back again.

“The most important thing is to accept that there is a problem and that something needs to be done about it.”

Mr Wright added that he hoped the government-funded Pathfinder Project – looking for a plan B for coastal erosion – would have something useful to say.

Former power station manager Mr Hardisty, said: “People are now starting to come along to parish council meetings worried about coastal erosion. It will take a while – people who live further back think it is not going to bother them but some are starting to worry.”

He said he aimed to leaflet all 80 clifftop home-owners in due course. The fledgling Hopton group has also won the support of veteran coastal campaigner Malcolm Kerby, who has taken local erosion issues to the heart of Westminster.

Story in the Great Yarmouth Mercury

GREAT Yarmouth’s new outer harbour could be having an erosive effect on the coastline at Hopton, it is feared.

The beach there has taken a battering from the sea in the past six months, with up to three feet of sand being washed away in some sections.

This has led some villagers to fear that Hopton could soon fall victim to rapid cliff erosion.

Stephen Ford, of Potters Drive, is among those alarmed by the rate of erosion, and he suspects it could be a result of the outer harbour affecting tidal streams.

Mr Ford, who has walked the local coastline for more than 20 years, said he had never seen erosion on this scale before.

“This is not the norm. Hopton shoreline is becoming an ecological and environmental disaster. It is also going to affect the holiday industry because there will be no beach left for visitors,” said Mr Ford, who wants the sand to be replenished.

Erosion at nearby Corton beach has forced councillors in Waveney to rethink its classification as a nudist beach. Because so much of it has been lost to the sea, there have been calls for it to be made available to the wider public.

Hopton beach is a popular attraction for visitors to Potters Leisure Resort, which owns part of the beach. Resort owner Brian Potter said he had noticed significant erosion in the past six weeks, with up to three feet of sand being washed away.

“It’s now impossible for our guests to get on to the beach unless they are agile,” he said.

Access was only now possible via a wooden ramp that was not always easy to tackle, said Mr Potter.

He added: “I have seen that amount of sand loss in the past with storms, etcetera. But it has always built up again.

“The big question is whether because of the outer harbour, the tide is cutting into the coastline close to Gorleston golf course; Hopton along to Corton.

“If it is the case, that the storms are causing the erosion, I’m not too concerned, but if it is connected with the outer harbour we have a serious problem.”

In terms of sea defences, the section of coast is subject to a “hold-the-line” approach by the Environment Agency under the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), and Mr Potter said he would be sad to see the beach disappear totally.

The issue was raised at Hopton Parish Council’s meeting on Monday, and chairman Mike Butcher said the beach had come and gone for years.

He told the Mercury: “I have visited the beach and, yes, the sand has been significantly reduced, but when we have prevailing easterly winds it naturally erodes the sand.”

Mr Butcher said that in the past few months the area had suffered from stronger easterly winds than in past years and the beach had not yet had chance to recover.

“What we need is some strong westerly winds to bring the sand back. It is a concern, and I don’t claim to be an expert, but it’s something which has happened over time,” he added.

Story by Laura Bagshaw in the Great Yarmouth Mercury