The Masked Tulip Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thousands of people living on the coast could see the value of their homes fall as the Welsh government agrees to stop defending some properties from the sea. Defences in 48 areas will no longer be maintained putting 1,300 homes at risk of being lost. Homeowners say the plan will have a "disastrous impact" and will leave them unable to sell their homes. Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said some residents could be relocated. BBC Wales' Week In Week Out programme has found that shoreline management plans for affected areas shows homeowners might be unaware of the risks and the impact the plan will have on the value of their property. Fairbourne in Gwynedd has already seen a significant drop in house values since the programme revealed in February that 420 homes could be lost in the village by 2055. Huw Gosling, who lives in one of 30 seafront homes at risk in Newton, Porthcawl, said he knew nothing of the plans to stop defending homes before he was contacted by BBC Wales. "That's worrying because the effect that would have on our houses would obviously be quite disastrous as far as we're concerned," he said. "I would imagine the next stage would be the houses would be unsaleable and eventually fall over." Bridgend council said it had followed communication guidelines and would work with those affected. Senior coastal engineer Greg Guthrie, who wrote the shoreline plan for Cardigan Bay, Anglesey and Gwynedd, said it would be "daft" to continue to defend some areas and to do so could cause future problems. Chartered surveyor Philip Wilbourn, who has advised the UK government on the issue, said any plan which states seaside properties will not be defended was bound to have an impact on house prices. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29794518 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 They should pay for their own personal flood defences if it's purely a personal economic concern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exiled Canadian Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Didn't they notice the proximity of the sea when they bought the home? Why should the taxpayer invest millions to preserve their houses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palangot Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Is it public safety or private house prices that are the main concern? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Oh I do Like to Lose beside the seaside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snugglybear Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Didn't they notice the proximity of the sea when they bought the home? Why should the taxpayer invest millions to preserve their houses? You'd think they'd notice, wouldn't you? It's awfully big and loads wetter than the land. I mean, you don't have to walk far and your wellies start squelching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renting til I die Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Homeowners say the plan will have a "disastrous impact" and will leave them unable to sell their homes. Really wouldn't matter if the houses weren't 99.5% of these people's total wealth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Just watched the BBC Wales programme and it was HPC property porn. Only in Wales could the government come up with a plan to give up large parts of the coast to the sea and not tell anyone. Well, they told the Councils and the Councils appear to, dependent upon whom you believe, not told anyone or held meetings. The programme basically focused then on house prices and whether you would be able to sell a house or not. ( Cue lots of anguished boomer interviews. ). Apparently not - already the mortgage lenders are refusing to lend on houses in various Welsh coastal towns because they are earmarked to be given up to the sea in the next 40 years. The banks will only give mortgages if a house is going to be around 60 years apparently. So lots of talk of mortgages and only cash buyers buying. Apparently the estate agents do not know what is going on - no surprise there then - but neither do the solicitors or the chartered surveyors. The information about the plans to give up certain areas to the sea apparently do not come up in solicitors' searches nor in anything that you pay a surveyor to do re coastal erosion. Oh, and some of these places are going to be given up to the sea in the next 10 years. Well worth a watch if it turns up on iplayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 (edited) If its anything like the south coast of England you will probably find that the areas to be sacrificed to the sea have also been earmarked by the Councils on their local structure plan for housing development Edited October 29, 2014 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Here's the programme if anyone is interested. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04m38vj/week-in-week-out-seaside-retreat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 I've watched the first 10 minutes and there hasn't been a Welsh sounding person on yet - either commentating or living there. (EDIT: Oooh - had a thought...is there a link here?) I knew you would be the first to reply. I knew you would pick up on that. You are a victim of the Taffia and the BBC who seemingly employ only Welsh speakers as presenters... so you get the impression that all Welsh people sound a certain way. We don't - especially in places like Pembrokeshire and Gower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 "It's unlikely the estate agent will know anything either." - never a truer word spoken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sPinwheel Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 You live by the sea. You die by the sea. You got to hear it under the sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northerner Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 National Trust view: Dramatic storms and constant change are inherent features of where land meets the sea, and the forces of nature are part of the beauty and appeal of our coast. We want to work with nature rather than against it, and embrace adaption rather than relying solely on defence. Phil Dyke Coast and Marine Adviser, National Trust http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/document-1355834809529/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 National Trust view: Dramatic storms and constant change are inherent features of where land meets the sea, and the forces of nature are part of the beauty and appeal of our coast. We want to work with nature rather than against it, and embrace adaption rather than relying solely on defence. Phil Dyke Coast and Marine Adviser, National Trust http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/document-1355834809529/ Did they invite Nature to a focus group? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Probably not. But the guy's name's great. Do you think that's why he got the job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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