Coastal protection work at Thorpeness

A £400,000 scheme to protect a vulnerable stretch of Suffolk coastline has finished ahead of schedule.

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The second phase of the project at Thorpeness involved nearly 2,000 fabric bags filled with sand and shingle being used to strength the defences.

The defences at the northern end of the village are being reconstructed and strengthened after damage caused by storms in June last year.

The work was made possible by a partnership involving Suffolk Coastal District Council, the Environment Agency and local residents.

Andy Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: “It is great that the £400,000 second phase scheme has completed its main and hugely important task of repairing and strengthening the damaged existing defences, so reducing the immediate threat to local homes from coastal erosion.

“Most of the funding is from the Government via the Environment Agency, with the remainder coming from this council and most importantly local residents, as without their £137,000 commitment the scheme would not have got financial backing from the Government.

A total of 1,856 bags were needed – 200 fewer than estimated – and the work, carried out by J Breheny Contractors Ltd, finished two weeks ahead of schedule. There will now be additional repair work to the gabions which could extend into February.

The work involved bags being laid eight to 10 layers deep on more than one-and-a-half square miles of geo-fabric, creating a 600ft toe-shaped structure that will provide vital support to the existing rock- filled wire basket revetment.

Charles Beardall, area manager for the Environment Agency, said: “We are delighted that this important scheme is progressing well. The local community are to be commended for the vital part that they have played in making this scheme possible.”

Because the area is still a
construction site, the fencing will have to remain up over the Christmas period and closed to public access.