Councillors call for new funding to tackle coastal erosion at Pakefield
Erosion over the weekend forced people to evacuate a nearby holiday park
Last updated 28th Nov 2023
Local leaders in Suffolk are calling for millions of pounds of funding to tackle coastal erosion in the county.
It's after a cliff road in Pakefield collapsed over the weekend due to high tides and strong winds - forcing people in a nearby holiday park to evacuate.
The cliffs are made of sand and clay making them a high risk for erosion.
The coastguard has said the cliff areas are "extremely dangerous" and issued a warning to those in the area not to walk on the "very unstable sandy cliffs.... and to stay away from the base of any cliffs... and avoid using any cordoned off areas."
"Genuinely worried"
We spoke to Peter Byatt, one of the three East Suffolk ward councillors for Kirkley and Pakefield.
He's met with local residents who say they are "genuinely worried about the future of their home...
"They are very anxious and they need reassurance that the that the sea is not going to be allowed to take away their homes."
What happens next?
Peter told us he is already looking into what needs to be done to stop these cliffs eroding and believes installing revetments (sloping structures built to absorb and dissipate the energy of waves in order to reduce coastal erosion) will help.
"If you don't do this now, it is going to have severe knock-on effects on Pakefield. It's going to have an effect on the economy.
"It's also going to have an effect on the confidence of the residents in the authorities - they turn to us."
He told us they're estimating it will cost £3-4 million.