Holiday park evacuated after clifftop road collapses into sea near caravans
A Suffolk holiday park has been evacuated after a clifftop road collapsed into the sea.
People have been told to leave Pakefield Holiday Park in Lowestoft due to reports of coastal erosion. The coastguard said the beach at the bottom of the steps at Arbor Lane has "mostly washed away" and is "a dangerous place to be".
HM Coastguard Lowestoft and an officer from Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service rushed to the caravan park at 9.39pm last night, hours after a section of the road in front of the clifftop caravans collapsed onto the beach. The holiday park was evacuated over warnings that some of the caravans were "dangerously close" to the edge.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on Friday evening (HM Coastguard Lowestoft)
The park had to be evacuated (HM Coastguard Lowestoft)The coastguard said it would monitor the situation over the weekend. In a statement shared on social media last night, it said: "The team were tasked tonight, along with a Fire Officer from Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service, to assess the situation at Pakefield Holiday Park, Arbor Lane, as this afternoon, a section of the road in front of the clifftop caravans collapsed onto the beach below.
"Some of the vans are now dangerously close to the edge and several people have been evacuated. The beach at the bottom of the steps at Arbor Lane, has now mostly washed away. There is now a drop onto what’s left of the beach. We have cordoned off the steps this evening. The relevant organisations have been informed."
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"Some of the vans are now dangerously close to the edge" (HM Coastguard Lowestoft)It added: "Please do not use the steps at Arbor Lane until the authorities have had a chance to act. The beach there is now a dangerous place to be. Please keep well away. PLEASE DO NOT WALK ALONG THE BASE OF THE CLIFFS. Some poor quality photos are attached showing just how much beach has washed away."
A spokesman at East Suffolk Council said: "The relevant authorities are addressing the impacts, and affected areas have been cordoned off as the extent of any damage is assessed. Known damage which affects ordinary access includes the steps down to the beach at Arbor Lane. Therefore, people are asked to avoid the area and stay away from locations which may still be vulnerable. There may be debris and the possibility of further collapse and public safety is a priority."
Earlier this year, we reported that coastal communities are living in fear that every new storm could be the one that will send their home plummeting into the sea. Erosion accelerated by global warming could wipe out £600million worth of coastal homes in 21 communities in England by the end of the century, a climate action group warned.
Many residents do not know a decision has been taken not to build new sea defences in their area, meaning homes will be left at the mercy of the waves. Over a third of England’s coastline has a designation of “no active intervention” under the Environment Agency’s shoreline management plans, according to action group One Home.
Pakefield Holiday Park in Lowestoft has been evacuated (Google Streetview)Yet new developments can continue to be built in these areas, potentially increasing the number of at-risk homes. Some people could even be forced to pay thousands of pounds towards the cost of demolishing their own home if it is threatened by erosion, possibly while still paying their mortgage.
One Home has produced a map showing the most at-risk areas and those that will not be fortified. Chief Angela Terry said: "Sea levels are rising as global temperatures soar and so larger waves batter our coast during severe storms.
"These irreversible changes mean some cliff faces are crumbling fast. We can’t turn the tide or build a wall around the entire coast, so we urgently need to help seaside communities to prepare for the damage that will come."
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