Erosion-hit villagers use sandbags to protect homes

Residents in a village where homes have had to be demolished because of coastal erosion have taken to protecting their houses with sandbags.

Thorpeness, in Suffolk, has been devastated by significant erosion over the last few months, resulting in three properties having to be torn down due to safety risks.

Villagers have now taken precautionary action ahead of a storm and high tides forecast to last into Thursday.

The BBC had been informed of the potential for temporary flooding, but the Environment Agency said the risk of flooding in East Anglia this week remained low.

"We do not believe the potential for flooding at Thorpeness has increased since recent coastal erosion," a spokesperson said.

"But we will continue to provide the community with clear and reliable advice. We urge local people to always check the latest information."

Since October, three homes on the cliff's edge have been bulldozed, including The Warren, The Chantry, and Cheneys, while The Red House was taken down in 2022.

East Suffolk Council, the lead authority for managing local coastal erosion, said a further nine homes were also now at risk of being lost.

Residents like Sue Allen said they felt abandoned, had "no information from the council or anybody else" and were now protecting their properties with sandbags.

"This all came to all of us so fast and it's horrifying because, if the sea comes through, it's going to potentially flood the whole village," she said.

"It's a very real risk and not just to us but for people further down. We were told we would be looked after and given plenty of warning but we've not heard another word."

Julia Durrant said there had been "a lot of misinformation" and feared for elderly people living in the village – including a bedbound 89-year-old.

"If there is a flood, we have a real problem, because she is upstairs and her chairlift won't work, so that's a huge worry for her family," she added.

"People are losing their homes and their whole lives, and they're not just holidaymakers or rich people with second homes. It's just tragic."

Were there to be a severe flood, residents would be evacuated from their homes to a community centre in Leiston, as part of an emergency action plan.

Villagers, however, want to prevent that from happening by funding their own sea defences – a solution that would first have to get through council "red tape".

In the last week, "a professional force" of more than 400 residents has been mobilised, with £470,000 in financial pledges from the community made.

"I think something more should have been done to help these people protect their beautiful properties, places where they've lived for years," said Maureen Jones, chairman of Thorpeness Parish Council.

"It is absolutely horrendous and I feel absolutely horrified and distraught because something's got to be done to actually protect vulnerable people in the village," she said.

"The sea will carry on coming if it's not stopped."

East Suffolk Council said it understood "what a deeply distressing time this is for property owners who are suffering a genuinely devastating experience".

"Our teams have been working closely with all those likely to be affected, providing them with comprehensive support and a range of information about what to expect," a spokesperson said.

"This has been an ongoing, two-way dialogue over a considerable period of time.

"It is understandable this developing situation has caused anger and distress, and our thoughts are always with those who are affected.

"We will continue to do all we can to provide support, working with them sympathetically and constructively."

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