Emergency works continuing to protect homes and coastline

A scheme of maintenance work is close to being completed as part of temporary protection to the base of eroding cliffs in south Lowestoft.

The temporary beach protection works were under way all this week in Pakefield.

East Suffolk Council, through Coastal Partnership East, which manages the coast on its behalf, had appointed the Water Management Alliance (WMA) to carry out the temporary protection work, which started on Monday.

The work in Pakefield has been carried out to provide temporary protection to the base of the cliffs and beach in "the location of residential properties for this winter."

A spokesman said: "This part of the coast has experienced erosion of the soft sandy cliffs.

"The WMA will be extracting a small amount of beach material from Lowestoft South Beach between Rectory Road and Kensington Road."

The work has seen the beach material being transported by dumper truck to Pakefield before being used "to fill several one tonne bags" that were subsequently being placed "in a 100m length protection" at the base of the cliff and beach south of Arbor Lane, Pakefield.

The spokesman said: "We have been working closely with the Pakefield Community Steering Group helping to protect homes and our beautiful and important coastline economically and environmentally and for the enjoyment of communities and visitors for generations to come."

The Pakefield steering group was established during the summer and these emergency protection works were given a £4,000 boost to the total cost of the works from the locality budgets of Suffolk County councillors Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro and Craig Rivett.

Mrs Vigo di Gallidoro said: "It is hoped these emergency protection works will save further damage during the winter, giving time to put more long term defences in place in 2021.

"Waveney MP Peter Aldous has pledged to put our case forward to the government for the funding to be released to put up permanent coast defences in 2021."