Tuesday 20th February 2024 - Slump and Accidents on the Promenade

The fallen shrubs topping the cliff slump on the access road, down from Clifton Way, have been removed, leaving the underlying material.  Water is running out of the cliffs in this area, making its way down towards to the sea.  With the road remaining blocked, people are now having to walk up on the grass; this is now muddy and slippery.  A little further up the access road, a section of masonry (this may have been some sort of drainage for the old Overstrand Hotel), has tipped and will no doubt soon be making its way down towards the road.  The slump below the Sea Marge Hotel, is continuing to spill onto the promenade.  We have never seen so much gloopy and sodden material here, which features as today’s photo. 

We often hear, in the media, about cliff erosion along this area of the coast.  Hensby and Happisburgh, in particular, have suffered badly and probably wouldn’t have lost so much, if more funding towards sea defences had been channelled in their direction.  Each area has its own problem; we have been told, ours is down to rotational slumping.  As far as funding is concerned, only small amounts have been allotted to Overstrand, whereas Cromer and Mundesley are currently benefiting from twenty-five million pounds to provide rock armour.  I suppose we should be thankful we get something!   I have said this before; if they keep chucking money at Sheringham, Cromer and Mundesley and leave the Runtons, Overstrand, Sidestrand and Trimmingham unprotected and slipping into the sea, then those three seaside resorts, benefiting from funding, will most likely end up as peninsulas.

The following was posted by a villager on, the social media group, Next Door and contains important information.  As it can be viewed by anyone who registers as a member of the group, I don’t believe I am breaching any rules, by posting it here.

‘OVERSTRAND PROMANADE PEDESTRIAN WARNING The concrete surface on the promenade towards the beach huts is extremally slippy particularly near the recent small mud slide. Message to all - take great care when walking in this area. I have ended up with 15 stitches in my head. Thank you to the couple from Mundesly who drove me to Cromer A&E hospital.

Thank you for your support and comments. It has been a disappointing reaction from NNDC so far; I reported this to Cromer offices by phone at 8.30am 15th Feb and was thanked for making contact then promised a response. I then learnt that I wasn’t the only person to fall foul of the condition of the promenade, 2 days prior an ageing fella, also fell nearby and broke his arm. Realising then that I needed to formalise my incident and record the detail, I went direct to the offices of NNDC in person at 3.00pm same day. However here we are 3 days later - no clearance of the small mud slip, no email correspondence as promised, no warning signs, exactly the same situation exist on the promenade, so continue to be careful villagers an visitors please.’

This morning the area where the slippery algae builds-up, near the railings, was being pressure hosed and later we saw a contractor’s truck on the promenade, so it may well be, the mud slide referred to, (the one below the Sea Marge) will be removed.  At the risk of sounding a bit ‘holier-than-you’, we always stay clear of the concrete near the railings and also step over the water from the cliff drains as algae also forms here.   I wish both the resident, who posted on Next Door, and the ‘fella’ who broke his arm, speedy recoveries and everyone else, please take care as some of the algae may remain and it will probably grow back.