Public safety on the North Norfolk coastline

Cromer beach

See Also:

• How to enjoy a safe visit to any beach facility.
• North Norfolk's award wining Blue Flag beaches.
  

Flood Sirens in North Norfolk

Flood sirens are used along the North Norfolk coast as one way of telling people to evacuate if flooding is imminent. North Norfolk District Council, the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk County Council are now reviewing the use of these sirens. Officers and Councillors are working with relevant parish councils to establish whether each siren should be retained, moved or decommissioned. Meetings will take place with parish representatives in early 2008 to discuss and agree the assessment criteria - the rules that govern whether a siren is retained, moved or decommissioned - and in cases where a flood warden team exists, two flood wardens will also be asked to attend the meeting.

Cliff Erosion

The North Norfolk cliffs have been eroding for thousands of years. In some built up areas the coastline is defended with structures acting to reduce the cliff erosion. However, in all areas it is important to remember that the cliffs can and do fail. Usually this is in the form of fairly minor cliff slumps occurring on a regular basis.

It is extremely rare for a person to be injured as a result of this although a common sense approach is still required. Try to avoid standing or walking at the very edge of the cliff-tops. Whilst on the beaches, if possible, avoid the base of cliffs where debris may land. Even a small piece of cliff material can still cause a serious injury. Report any landslide event to the Coast Protection Unit on 01263 516257.

Coastal defences

The 1950's saw a huge program of engineering defences along the North Norfolk cliffed coastline. Now almost 50 years later some of these structures are showing signs of wear due to the constant and relentless onslaught of the North Sea storms. It is important to bear this in mind when using the beaches, especially in the more remote areas of the coast. If any structures appear to be unsafe keep well away and report the situation to the Coast Protection Unit on 01263 516257. We do regularly inspect structures as often a practicably possible, but often we rely on the public to report any damage in the more remote areas particularly after a storm.

Beach Users

North Norfolk is home to a huge tourism industry. One of the main reasons for this is the long stretch of beautiful sandy beaches that the district possesses. The main beaches at Sheringham, Cromer, Mundesley and Sea Palling have seasonal lifeguards on patrol.