We were forced out of our home on Britain’s most eroded coastline

An elderly couple forced from their dream retirement home on one of Britain’s fastest-eroding coastlines have told of the devastation of losing everything with just days’ notice from the council. 

Glenda and Michael Dennington were ordered to leave their seaside bungalow in Hemsby, Norfolk, after Storm Goretti caused severe coastal erosion, leaving the property unsafe.

Writing to the Daily Mail, the couple said the experience had been ‘devastating’ and accused authorities and insurers of failing to help those losing their homes in this way.

‘Erosion is happening all around the country, with devastating effects. We ourselves have recently lost our home. 

‘We were given one day’s notice to get out, then a further two days to clear the property. Volunteers helped us or we would have lost everything.

‘The local council have given very little assistance to people losing their homes. We don’t know what help other areas are getting.

‘Isn’t it time the Government became involved and got teams together to provide assistance?’

The couple, both in their 80s, said they felt ‘like second-class citizens’ after being forced out of the bungalow they had hoped would be their final home.

Mrs Dennington was left in tears as they packed up their belongings and left the property, which she described as their ‘final resting home’. The bungalow now stands empty and is due to be demolished this week.

The couple, along with their dog Rusty, have since moved into temporary accommodation at a nearby holiday chalet which they managed to rent themselves.

Mr Dennington, 82, is recovering from a major hip operation carried out just days before he was told the house was no longer safe. He said the shock had compounded an already traumatic period for the family.

In even worse news for the couple their insurance has told them that they will not cover coastal erosion, leaving them with no financial safety net. 

Mrs Dennington said she was repeatedly asked when assessors could visit the property – despite explaining that the house would soon no longer exist. 

‘The insurance company doesn’t want to know. Sometimes I wonder why we have insurance – ourselves, my son and a neighbour tried to claim for roof damage caused by relentless winds over a period of days. 

‘However, the insurance stated that the wind needed to blow above 55 miles an hour on one day for us to be covered.

‘I accept that erosion is not covered on a buildings policy, although the wind contributed to it. We had to leave items in the house and they say that is not covered – but storm damage would have been covered.

‘Apparently we were covered originally for storage, accommodation and various other costs.’

‘However, we had to sign the house over to the council, which we did on January 12. The insurance company now say we are not covered, despite the fact that we put in a claim on January 8 when the property was ours. We have since rung and emailed them but no response.’

He described retiring by the sea as a lifelong dream that had suddenly been ripped away, leaving them facing an uncertain future and the prospect of spending their life savings simply to survive.

His wife Glenda, 80, has been left to deal with the emotional and physical toll of trying to salvage and store their possessions while caring for her husband during his recovery.

She said the ordeal had been ‘horrendous from start to finish’ and that the lack of meaningful support had left them feeling abandoned.

The coastline of Hembsy has changed significantly in five decades, once being protected by rolling sand dunes with rows of homes set safely behind them. 

Now those dunes have disappeared, and dozens of properties have been lost to the sea. In the past month alone, 14 homes have been demolished, with rubble removed by the local lifeboat station.

Mrs Dennington said she is trying to take each day as it comes but admitted the emotional strain is overwhelming.

Hemsby is not alone. Homes are also being demolished at Thorpeness in Suffolk, where several more remain at risk. 

Experts have warned that undefended coastal villages like Hemsby may have no long-term future, with this stretch of the Norfolk coast described as among the fastest-eroding in northern Europe.

A spokesperson for Great Yarmouth Borough Council said: ‘When anyone loses their home to coastal erosion it is enormously distressing. With that in mind, the council has been speaking with residents affected by continuing erosion in Hemsby since last summer, raising awareness of the risk posed by their property. 

‘When a property is at imminent risk from erosion of the cliff, the council liaises with the owner to try to secure their agreement for safe demolition to avoid the danger of buildings collapsing on to the beach.

‘No one has been given a day’s notice to leave their property nor two days to clear their home. 

‘Making sure residents and the public are safe is of paramount importance and the council works closely with owners to explain the risks, offer support and advice and detail the options available to people at what is a very difficult time.

‘This winter continues to see a string of named storms and, at the start of January, more than 10m of dune was lost overnight. This meant more homes were at immediate risk.

‘It is particularly difficult for people when current legislation means there is no prospect of insurance or compensation for those who lose their home to coastal erosion and they face losing everything. 

‘Unfortunately, the rate of erosion on our coast shows no sign of slowing and that is why the council continues to press for the Government to review legislation and introduce an insurance scheme to help those affected in Hemsby and other communities where coastal erosion is having such a devastating impact on people’s lives.’