A Suffolk holiday park is planning to build a new caravan site further inland to save its static caravans and lodges which are at risk of falling into the sea.

Broadland Sands Holiday Park, in Corton near Lowestoft, is hoping to move 38 of its caravans further inland to a new site just off Church Lane.

The move is said to be vital to secure the future viability of the 33-acre park which is situated in the Coastal Erosion Vulnerability Area.

And it would help future-proof a business which plays a huge role within the local tourism industry.

MORE: New project to boost employment for disadvantaged Ipswich youngstersThe planning application states the park contributes around £13m each year to the local economy.

As well as moving 38 of the most at risk caravans, the new site will house an additional 22 trailers - which are expected to bring another £350,000 into the area each year.

While the proposal has been recommended for approval when it comes before East Suffolk Council's North Area Planning Committee next week, it has caused some controversy as the new site will be across the road from St Bartholomew's Church - a historic Grade II* listed building.

Historic England raised concerns "due to the erosion of a rural setting which contributes to the significance of the Grade II* church".

Corton Parish Council has not objected to the plans but did ask for clarification on a number of issues, including the route vehicles will reach the new site.

The planning application acknowledges the disruption the new site could cause for the rural area by repurposing the three acres of agricultural land but says this must be compared with the economic benefits the change would bring.

It states: "The setting of the listed building is a matter of concern, however this also needs to be weighed against the employment, economic and tourism benefits the extension would bring, and assessed against the potential loss of existing space due to coastal erosion, which would have an impact on existing employment, economic and tourism principles".

Last year coastal erosion caused devastation further up the coast in Hembsy, Norfolk, when multiple homes fell into the sea after the cliff they were built upon crumbled.