Coastal Defences Boosted By £250,000 Grant

17 October 2014, 06:00

Communities along parts of Norfolk's more exposed coastline are set to receive a flood protection funding boost, courtesy of Norfolk County Council's Coastal Fund.

£250,000 is being awarded to places like Hemsby to help protect them from future flooding - and allievate the affects of the coastal flooding, following the tidal surge of last December.

The grant application scheme was launched in June, with over one million pounds worth of applications received by the closing date - but now the groups who'll get the funding have been announced.

Toby Coke, Chair of the County Council's Environment, Transport and Development Committee, said:

"By carefully assessing the bids for funding that we received we have been able to help the selected schemes to unlock additional match funding.   As a result, the £250,000 made available by the County Council will effectively result in over £1m worth of investment in flood protection schemes along our coastline.  I hope that these schemes help to improve resilience for these coastal communities and protect those most vulnerable to the mercy of the weather and the sea."

Dr Marie Strong, Chair of the Coastal Fund Working Group, said: "As a flood warden, as well as having six coastal parishes in my division I will not forget the flood of 5 December.  Nor will any of the people along our coast line who not only faced the violence of the storm on that night but then had the unenviable task of repairing their homes and businesses. 

I hope that the money we have been able to allocate to communities will go someway to giving reassurance to them when they face the inevitable flood surges of the future."   

Schemes approved for the funding are as follows:

  • North Norfolk Coastal Path between Burnham Norton & Burnham Deepdale / Cley - Sluice & Flood Embankment Repairs - £21,000
  • Save Hemsby Coastline - Construction of trial sea defences - £50,000
  • Snettisham, Heacham & South Hunstanton Beach Recharge Scheme - £50,000
  • Wells Harbour - Repair to Quay flood wall & defence barriers - £29,916
  • Walcott Overtopping Alleviation Scheme - £39,640
  • Ostend Residents Group Rock Placement Scheme - £43,500
  • Tichwell Marsh - RSPB Reserve East Bank Repair to 1:30 yr standard - £15,944