Beach homes face demolition months after being sold

A property investor and a woman planning for her retirement have been told their homes are at risk of falling into the sea just months after they purchased them.

The two properties are part of a collection of former fishermen's cottages in the hamlet of Newport, south of Hemsby, Norfolk.

The houses, which were both bought in the last three months, are among nine properties in the area deemed to be at risk of coastal erosion.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has advised the homeowners to leave their properties for their own safety.

Nathan Weissbraun, who lives in Manchester, paid £60,000 in September for his three-bed house in Newport, which is part of a row of four terraced cottages.

Weissbraun, who owns about 20 rental properties, said he paid £55,000 less than the previous owner did when they bought the house in 2023.

"It was below market value, so it was a good price. It's a lot of money we're going to lose and we're trying to fight our corner so it can stay," he added.

He said the house was the "first and last" property he would consider buying in Norfolk - a county he said he had never visited.

Lynn Sweet, 64, bought a four-bed cottage and two-bed annexe in Newport in August at auction for £145,000.

She said it seemed an "ideal opportunity" and hoped she could rent out the larger cottage to support herself during her retirement.

Eight weeks later, she was told the home was unsafe and would need to be demolished.

Sweet said she was aware of the erosion dangers in Hemsby, but thought she would have at least 10 to 20 years there.

Auction House East Anglia said it recognised the distress being experienced by homeowners in Hemsby, but said vendors were entitled to sell their properties.

Bryan Baxter, the firm's director, said: "We endeavour to ensure that relevant information about a property's condition, location and known risks is disclosed to prospective purchasers.

"Where coastal erosion is a factor, we make buyers aware that they should carry out their own research into any issues likely to affect the property or land."

Gemma Lomas, who is the fourth generation of her family to have lived in the Newport cottages, said learning the homes were at risk and now unsafe "came as a shock".

"In 2015, we were told we would have 100 years, last year this fell to 30 years, now we are being told it could be weeks.

"These homes have stood here for 200 years, they are an important part of Newport's maritime history," she said.

The homeowners have called for the council to provide more evidence the homes were unsafe, left the speed of the demolition process would not give them time to gain answers.

The council said it was acting responsibly to ensure the safety of the public.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "Where property is at risk of collapse on to the beach, demolition needs to be carried out in a safe and manageable way.

"Analysis of the latest data and mapping shows nine properties are now within the 10m zone of risk and owners have been contacted and spoken with to encourage them to vacate in a timely way so any necessary action can be taken in a safe and planned way."

Last winter, the dunes in Hemsby saw about 50% of the erosion predicted for the next 30 years, the council said, with more than 10m of land lost in over 12 months.

Since December 2025, 41 properties have also been demolished.

There is currently no compensation scheme for people who have lost homes to erosion, but there is a trial scheme that offers homeowners the ability to relocate.

Last year the Environment Agency gave £1.6m to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to enable the authority to buy planning rights from owners of properties at immediate risk of coastal erosion, which provided them with the financial means and legal planning permission to relocate.

James Bensly, a Great Yarmouth First councillor who represents East Flegg on the authority, said he "finds it very uncomfortable" to see properties advertised for sale when the "risk of them falling into the sea is so high".

"However, I also appreciate the sellers' point of view, and ultimately you cannot stop someone from putting a property on the market or another person from choosing to buy it," he added.

He urged prospective buyers to do research before purchasing a property to ensure they are aware of any risks.

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