Hill House Inn Happisburgh slams 'disgraceful' CPE comments

Clive Stockton, who has owned the Hill House Inn for more than 30 years, said comments by Karen Thomas from Coastal Partnership East suggesting businesses should “adapt to new conditions as quickly as possible” failed to recognise the value heritage buildings added to communities.

Ms Thomas, who outlined her vision for towns impacted by coastal erosion in an article for this newspaper last week, said: “You could get a couple of containers set up in a car park, that could be moved at short notice, and could still benefit from the tourist high season.”

Happisburgh is being hit hard by coastal erosion (Image: News Quest)

But Mr Stockton said the organisation, which is tasked with helping local authorities enact shoreline management plans, was missing the point.

He said: “How exactly do you move a 16th century listed pub into a portacabin? How do you move the Happisburgh lighthouse into a trailer?

“It’s debasing the value of our heritage.”

“We get thousands of visitors every year, and they all value what they see here. They’re absolutely incensed when they find out what’s happening.”

One of the biggest frustrations with the current approach, Mr Stockton said, was the way the Environment Agency decided which places should be entitled to sea defences.

Under current rules, towns are awarded points for things including property value and listed buildings.

He said that although there are eight listed buildings in Happisburgh, there is a limit on the number of points that can be awarded in this section.

This means communities can only receive a single point, whether they have one or a hundred listed buildings.

He added: “The prevalent attitude is that the place and the people aren’t worth it.

“We don’t seem to be able to get through to those making the decisions just how much these businesses mean to our country.”