Norfolk holiday homes could be moved amid shingle bank fears

Officials are carrying out further tests on the ridge, which acts as a defence for a large swathe of land between Heacham and Snettisham, amid fears that the force of the waves is gradually pushing it inland.

If they conclude that a so-called 'trigger point' has been reached, it could prompt a major rethink of the area's sea defences and see many of its caravan sites moved inland.

Tests are under way on the shingle ridge, which protects thousands of caravans and other properties (Image: Chris Bishop)Holding the line - material being moved back up the beach to strengthen the shingle bank (Image: Matthew Usher)

The investigation was launched into the five-mile shingle bank along the coast of the Wash after EA's monitoring systems detected movement. Officials expect to present their findings in the spring.

The bank is part of a wider area of low-lying coast, between Hunstanton and Wolferton, which is covered by a shoreline management plan drawn up in 2010.

Under the plan, the EA said it would "hold the frontline", meaning it would maintain existing sea defences until at least 2025.

But the same document warns "large-scale land use adaptation" might one day be necessary - including moving many of the area's caravan sites out of the flood zone.

Such a review could follow, if the officials decide a trigger point has been reached.

Properties close to the sea at Heacham South Beach (Image: Chris Bishop)

Caravans protected by the shingle ridge (Image: Chris Bishop)

An EA spokesman said: "We are carrying out an assessment as to whether a trigger point is being approached and the report is due to be completed in spring 2024.

"Whilst this progresses, we continue our current maintenance activities and have increased our enforcement activities, to prevent damage to the natural ridge. 

"No decision has been made on the future direction of shoreline management on this section of the Norfolk coast and we await the outputs of the trigger level assessment to inform this decision, if it is indeed required.

"Any decisions would be taken with full consultation with the local community."

A sign warning of erosion to the sea defences (Image: Chris Bishop)

Hannah Thacker, area manager for Norfolk at Natural England, said: “We are aware an assessment of trigger levels is under way which will inform management strategies for the shoreline between Hunstanton and Wolferton Creek.

"We will contribute to discussions around that assessment and any changes to the shoreline management plan as part of Natural England’s role in the East Anglia Coastal Group.”

The shoreline management plan warns that rising sea levels will eventually mean the option of holding the line may no longer be viable and will need to be replaced with so-called managed realignment.

Some of the many caravans protected by the sea defences (Image: Chris Bishop)

Sandra Squire, cabinet member for the environment and coast at West Norfolk council, which is one of the stakeholders, said: "The current shoreline management plan was always due to be reviewed in 2025.

"We’ve been informed by the EA that their regular monitoring shows movement of the shingle ridge back towards the properties behind the ridge. Some of the property owners situated behind the ridge have also been excavating the ridge which weakens it and reduces the level of flood protection it provides.

"Whether all that will mean any update to the shoreline management plan going forwards would be any different to what it is now, we really don’t know until the results of the technical report.

West Norfolk council cabinet member Sandra Squire (Image: West Norfolk Independent Group)"We will have a better idea in the spring but until then it’s certainly very premature to say what any recommendation would be."

Could defences be abandoned?

Sea defences looking north from Heacham (Image: Chris Bishop)Authorities say no decision will be made until the findings of the survey are known in early 2024.

But the 2010 shoreline management plan included dire warnings.

"Continuing the current approach of using the shingle ridge as a frontline defence will be difficult beyond the short term," it said.

An extract from the shoreline management plan (Image: Shoreline Management Plan)

A sign showing the area at risk of flooding at Snettisham (Image: Chris Bishop)"This is because it may not be affordable, there is already a significant risk to life for the people directly behind the defence and the environmental effects could become unacceptable."

It said the situation was "complex and sensitive" and "no active intervention on the shingle ridge" - letting rising sea levels take their course - would require "large-scale land use adaptation".

Sea defences north of Heacham (Image: Chris Bishop)The document admitted caravan sites behind the sea defences are vital to the local and regional economy.

But it went on: "To some extent, adaptation may be an option. This could include the possibility of relocating some of these facilities out of the flood zone."