Third home set to be demolished as coastal erosion worsens in Thorpeness
Recent storms and bad weather have caused rapid erosion
A third home is set to be demolished in Thorpeness as rapid coastal erosion continues to threaten properties along the Suffolk coastline.
Residents, councillors and the parish council have described the situation as devastating, with concerns growing about the future of the village and whether more could be done to protect it.
"I am devastated"
Maureen Jones, Chair of Aldringham cum Thorpe Parish Council, said the loss of homes has been deeply distressing for the community.
“I am feeling absolutely devastated and I am devastated for the owners of the houses as well,” she said.
Speaking outside one of the property due to be demolished, Ms Jones said she believed coastal defences should have been installed sooner.
“I would have liked to have seen some defences put on the beach before this and I would like to see something now put on to the beach,” she said.
“Residents along further down and residents along here were quite prepared to pay to have defences put down but they have not been allowed so far to do it.”
She said the speed of the erosion had raised serious concerns.
“I think that there could be some red tape involved, yes,” she said. “Obviously government departments have got to try and help save all these communities because it is absolutely disastrous.”
Ms Jones also warned that erosion could increase flood risk further inland.
“The bottom of North End Avenue is very low,” she said. “So if all the properties go in front of this road, yes, it will be all affected.”
"It looks like a desperate situation. We’re at a critical time.”
Homeowners Tim and Juliette Crisp, who bought their property three years ago, said storm damage over the New Year had dramatically changed conditions on the beach.
“This morning… it was absolutely shocking to see the scale of material that’s been moved away from the beach,” Tim Crisp said.
“The sea defences have been compromised. It looks like a desperate situation. We’re at a critical time.”
Juliette Crisp said storms had stripped away existing protection.
“As a result of these storms, our fence was taken away, the gabions have collapsed, and it’s revealed what we call 'the sausage', the black linear construction behind, which is our last line of defence,” she said.
“That was put in 10, 12 years ago, and has protected our properties along here since.”
The couple said they were not made aware of imminent demolition risks when buying their home.
“We did searches. We spoke to engineers that had put in the sea defences 10 years ago,” Juliette Crisp said.
“We were given reassurances that satisfied us that our home would be intact for at least 20, 30 years.”
Tim Crisp added:
“When we completed on our property, the red house was pulled down a month later. We were given no knowledge of that demolition order during the process of purchasing a house.”
They said residents were now fearful of further storms.
“We’re really fearful that we are at such a critical stage that we will imminently… be next,” Juliette Crisp said.
" I am sorry to be here...if we had the money, we would have done something already.”
District councillor Mark Packard, who has cabinet responsibility for planning and coastal management, said the situation had deteriorated rapidly.
“It’s really depressing, it’s a tragedy and it was totally unexpected and I’m sorry to be here,” he said.
He said erosion had been monitored closely over recent months.
“The last six months we’ve been having to look at this on a weekly basis,” he said. “It’s just got worse and worse and worse, culminating with what we see here now, which happened January the 1st, January the 2nd.”
Responding to claims about emergency funding, Mr Packard said he was not aware of a £400,000 fund being available for sea defences.
“Not to my knowledge,” he said. “If we had the money, we would have done something already.”
He said the council’s priority was safety.
“The East Suffolk Council’s responsibility is to make sure they’re safe and that they get plenty of warning if they have to vacate their home,” he said.
“If people don’t have somewhere to go and their house is being demolished, we find them somewhere to go. That is our responsibility.”
Mr Packard confirmed that another demolition is underway.
“There is one house underway… and then there’s an additional house, number 22, that is going to be demolished once that is finished,” he said.
“So that will be the fourth house that’s going to be demolished in the last few months.”
He said the council is seeking discussions with central government about future funding.
“I’m going down to London at the end of January with two of my senior officers,” he said, “to see… if there is any money available.”
Asked what reassurance he could offer residents, Mr Packard said:
“What we can say to them is we will make you safe. You will not lose your life, you may lose your home, you won’t lose your life.”