Residents in Thorpeness say there’s no clear answer on who will pay to protect what’s left
It follows a metting with Suffolk Coastal MP, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter.
Residents in Thorpeness say they are living with growing uncertainty as rapid coastal erosion continues to threaten homes, with several already demolished and others now at risk.
Concerns were raised during a meeting bringing together homeowners, local representatives, East Suffolk Council, the Environment Agency and the area’s MP, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter.
The meeting focused on erosion at North End Avenue, options for short-term sea defences and the longer-term future of the village, as the Suffolk coastline continues to be battered by high tides and storms.
“Every high tide is now a worry”
Sophie Marple, whose home is at risk, said she welcomed the meeting and the opportunity for residents to hear directly from agencies involved.
“I’m really pleased that Jenny brought this meeting together,” she said. “She’s brought all the different agencies together as well as the community, and that honesty is what we need.”
Ms Marple said that for residents without engineering backgrounds or professional connections, the situation can feel overwhelming, when discussing potential sea defences.
“For me, I can feel like, well, how can I get help? What’s going to happen to me?” she said. “That’s a genuine concern.”
She said the speed of erosion had been shocking.
“I stood up in front of the community on the 22nd of December and genuinely thought I had two to three years,” she said. “My defences went over the Christmas period. It’s happened incredibly quickly.”
Ms Marple also described the emotional impact on her family, particularly her children.
“My children don’t want to come here anymore,” she said. “They feel stressed and uncomfortable. We feel like we’re living in a fishbowl.”
She said the uncertainty was taking a toll on mental health.
“I do worry about the impact this is having on my children,” she said. “It’s a lot to manage emotionally.”
Questions over funding and responsibility
Funding was a recurring theme throughout the meeting. Residents questioned how meaningful action could be taken without clear financial backing.
Willie Lebus, whose family owns property in Thorpeness, said the issue was complex but unavoidable.
“It’s all about the money,” he said. “You’ve got people who’ve already lost their houses, and that’s terrible. But unless we look at a long-term solution, this will become a much bigger disaster.”
Mr Lebus warned that without intervention, Thorpeness itself could be at risk.
“Ultimately, flood waters will come through to all the properties,” he said. “Within a relatively small amount of time, there won’t be a Thorpeness.”
He also raised concerns about the role of nearby energy infrastructure projects.
“We’re two miles down the road,” he said. “There’s an opportunity here for them to step up and help defend this community.”
Both residents expressed disappointment that while engineering expertise had been offered, financial support had not.
Council and agency constraints
East Suffolk Council and the Environment Agency told the meeting that erosion had accelerated due to rising sea levels, a lack of beach shingle and the limited space for natural defences at North End Avenue.
They said traditional measures, such as geotextile bags, could not currently be reused and that hard defences risked worsening erosion further down the coast.
Short-term options are being explored to “buy time”, but officials cautioned that any privately funded defences would be subject to planning approval and liability considerations.
MP calls situation “shocking and unjust”
MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter said the meeting was about bringing all parties together and maintaining pressure.
“This is an amazing community, and having so many homes at immediate risk of erosion isn’t a nice place to be,” she said.
She described the lack of compensation for homeowners who lose properties to the sea as “shocking”.
“If you lose your home to the sea, there is no compensation,” she said. “Your life savings can disappear, and you could end up on a housing waiting list for years. That feels incredibly unfair.”
She said she was using her position on Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee to raise the issue nationally, with Thorpeness now feeding into an inquiry on coastal erosion.
“There will be recommendations on funding, long-term sustainability and the human impact,” she said.
While welcoming offers of engineering support from Sizewell C, she said more was needed.
“That data and expertise is helpful,” she said. “But of course we need to be asking for more. They have to lean in.”
A race against time
Residents were warned that winter conditions make immediate work difficult and that erosion may continue at pace until calmer weather arrives.
For those living on North End Avenue, the future remains uncertain.
“As a resident, the biggest shock is just how quickly this has happened,” Ms Marple said. “Nobody predicted this. We are in a race against time.”