Pakefield: Sea cutting closer despite new defences say residents

New sea defences designed to prevent coast erosion in the short-term may not be enough to stop their homes falling into the sea, residents fear.

About 2,000 tonnes of rock was placed on Pakefield beach at Lowestoft, Suffolk, in December after the demolition of a cliff-top bungalow.

Coastal Partnership East said this would "buy us time while we work out what's best to do".

Resident Mark Sherman said the sea was still "cutting in closer and closer".

Mr Sherman, who lives close to the cliff edge and was speaking on behalf of residents, said the rocks "protect it to some state... but obviously [the sea] goes round rocks and cuts back in".

This part of the coast has not been as badly battered in the last 14 days as that of Hemsby, Norfolk, which is about 20 miles (30km) north and where cliff-edge homes were demolished at the weekend.

But Mr Sherman said "even the south wind was cutting" into the cliffs and residents wanted more rock defences to be put in place.

The granite defences were placed there by Coastal Partnership East, which is responsible for 57 miles (92km) of coastline in Norfolk and Suffolk,

At the time, its head Karen Thomas said they were not intended to be there for decades but to "buy everyone a bit of time so we have conversations about what will happen in those locations next".

Their arrival followed the demolition of the first of four Pakefield holiday cottages in February 2022, deemed unsafe due to coastal erosion, while in August, East Suffolk Council issued a warning after a cliff close to nearby the nearby Pontins holiday village collapsed.

Mr Sherman said: "I think [the rocks] will protect it to some state... but you can't hold the sea back with the rising levels."

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