Hemsby: Relief for village as beach access opens for Easter

A coastal village pub landlady said she is "totally relieved" that access to its "magnificent" beach has been restored in time for the Easter break.

The beach at Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was closed when high tides claimed metres of sand from an access point called "The Gap".

Rapid erosion in March also led to the demolition of five properties.

Lorna Bevan said that without public access, Hemsby's holiday businesses "would soon go into decline".

Ms Bevan, who runs The Lacon Arms and an amusement arcade, has about 300 people booked in for Easter Sunday lunch and expects to serve 600 people altogether.

She said: "Ten years ago at Easter 2013, there was a drop to get on to the beach so people couldn't access it and it was detrimental and affected takings.

"If it's not open for Easter, we miss the large family groups who come in for the day - and we lose the chance for them to think about booking a bigger holiday later in the year."

Ms Bevan, founder of Save Hemsbys Coastline, who employs 20 people all year round and 50 during the holiday season, added that "without people employed in tourism, the village wouldn't have the vibrancy it has now".

Stuart Reeve believes Hemsby's family-owned businesses will be "breathing a big sigh of relief that the beach is reopened before the Easter weekend".

Mr Reeve is the director of Seadell Shops and Holiday chalets, which has a convenience store and 21 chalets, employing 12 people during the summer season.

"We've certainly had a considerable number of calls this month and the first question they ask is, 'Will the beach be open?'," he said.

"It's a boost to the wider Great Yarmouth and Norfolk tourism - Hemsby has a lot of self-catering caravans and chalets and the visitors obviously travel out."

"Our beach is the jewel in the crown for Hemsby, lots of people come here and I'd say 90% head to the beach," said James Gray, owner of takeaway Madison's and Lost World Adventure Golf.

"It's really heart-warming to see how quickly things can be done when the pressure is on," he added.

It is another one of the village's family businesses - employing Mr Gray, his wife, his son, his daughter, her boyfriend and his sister-in-law.

He said: "The weather's stayed fine so we've had a really good week of trading - we're optimistic for a really good weekend."

Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park has about 2,000 people booked into its caravans and lodges over Easter and employs 82 people at the height of the summer season.

Park and customer experience manager, James Ettridge, said there had been "some concern from regular customers about beach access" so "we're really pleased to get the beach open".

"And the work the contractors have done, with the local people including the life boat crew, has been great," he added.

Hemsby was battered by high spring tides and strong winds in March.

Five homes were demolished in less than two weeks before they fell into the sea - and another dragged back inland.

An 80m (262ft) rock revetment has been installed as a temporary solution, created from 2,000 tonnes of Norwegian granite.

Work was also completed on a rock defence to help protect the restored access point to the beach and provide a new ramp, so the lifeboat could return to service.

Plans for a permanent defence stretching 0.8 miles (1.3km) have been granted a licence by the Marine Management Organisation - but Great Yarmouth Borough Council needs to find £15m to carry out the work.

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