Nearly £600,000 could go towards sea defences in Thorpeness to help against erosion
A meeting will be held tomorrow to confirm
Residents in a Suffolk coastal village facing severe erosion could be given up to five years of “breathing space” under new plans set to be discussed by councillors.
East Suffolk Council’s cabinet is due to consider proposals tomorrow (Tuesday, 3rd of March) to support a rock bag scheme in Thorpeness, where coastal erosion has intensified dramatically since August 2025.
In North End Avenue alone, around 27 metres of land has been lost in 12 months, with seven buildings demolished, including one block of five apartments.
More information on this can be found here.
The rock bags
At previous meetings with residents and council members, there had been hopes of short-term defences, so they would then have the time and ability to plan medium and long-term solutions.
More on these meetings can be found here.
Councillor Mike Packard, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for coastal management, said the situation in Thorpeness was “extraordinary”.
He said they had spoken with an engineering firm, which explained why erosion was happening so rapidly, and according to Councillor Packard, they said "they’d never seen anything quite as dramatic as the erosion we’ve had in Thorpeness.”
This is why they want to act quickly. Under the new proposals, an initial 50-metre stretch of rock bags would be installed along the coastline, funded privately by residents at a cost of around £270,000.
A second phase, expected to be considered by councillors, would extend the defences by a further 70 metres, funded by around £300,000 from council reserves.
Cllr Packard said these measures should protect the at-risk homes for another two to five years.
He said. “It will help preserve… and slow down the erosion.”
When will these be put in place?
Cllr Packard told us works could begin as early as next week, with installation expected to take around four weeks, depending on weather and tidal conditions.
When asked where the money had come from, for this to go ahead, Cllr Packard said the council planned to use reserves to fund its contribution due to the severity of the situation.
“We do have reserves, and so we’re going to use reserves for this money because it’s so dramatic,” he said. “That’s what our reserves are for… extraordinary circumstances.”
The scheme has been developed in partnership with residents, including a community-led group which has raised significant funding and helped bring forward proposals.
However, the rock bags are not seen as a permanent solution.
Richard Bennett, a director at Thorpeness Community Interest Company (CIC), said the aim was to “win time” while longer-term options are explored.
Meanwhile, Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter said the village had been “in a race against the clock” following a devastating winter.
“This winter has been devastating for the village of Thorpeness,” she said. “We’ve lost so many homes to coastal erosion, and it’s been heartbreaking for so many families.”
The council said the temporary measures could help protect around 24 properties currently at risk of flooding from wave overtopping.
Further discussions are expected to take place on longer-term solutions, which could include wider coastal management strategies over the coming decades.
Cllr Packard added: “We are engaged as a council. We take it seriously… and we want to make sure that residents understand what’s going on.”