Campaigners have called on the Broads Authority (BA) and government bodies to halt enforcement actions against residents at the Berney Arms, situated on the banks of the River Yare in Norfolk. This follows a recent ruling supporting the BA’s plans to remove structures from the area surrounding the former Berney Arms pub.
The decision means that several residents, who currently live on the site in a combination of outbuildings, static caravans, and moored boats, have just three months to vacate their homes. The communal site has become home to a tight-knit group of eight people since the pub’s closure in 2015.
The campaigners argue the residents serve an important role in the area, running a café for boaters and supporting local projects such as Duke of Edinburgh wild camping initiatives. They emphasise that these activities contribute to sustaining the isolated location and keeping it vibrant. According to the group, removing the residents would "kill the very future the Broads Authority claims to protect," suggesting the area would "wither before it can be reborn."
Once known as one of Norfolk’s most remote pubs, the Berney Arms is accessible only by foot or boat and has become a site of community-led engagement. Campaigners have expressed their ambition for the location to evolve into a "vibrant, community-led, environmentally sensitive regeneration," envisioning it as a nature haven, heritage centre and skills hub for future generations. They insist that, at present, the residents’ presence is crucial to achieving this vision.
The Broads Authority first served an enforcement notice in 2023, with then-chairman Bill Dickson describing the living conditions on the site as "medieval." The BA cited concerns related to flood risks and potential harm to the character and appearance of the area. A spokesperson for the authority acknowledged the difficulty faced by those in need of affordable and safe housing but noted that "landowners cannot be excused from planning requirements which apply to everyone." Additionally, the local housing authority, Broadland District Council, expressed serious concerns that the caravans failed to meet basic minimum standards.
In light of these developments, campaigners are now urging for a pause on the eviction process and are calling for dialogue involving the Broads Authority, the Berney Arms Revival Trust, and the wider community to seek a resolution. The Eastern Daily Press is reporting the ongoing situation surrounding this unique and sensitive location on the Norfolk Broads.
Source: Noah Wire Services