East Suffolk Council
Continued support for Thorpeness residents
East Suffolk Council has today confirmed that it will continue to provide funding to support Thorpeness homeowners faced with the cost of demolishing their homes due to coastal erosion.
The Council has been in regular dialogue with property owners and has previously provided reassurance about the availability of funding to meet the costs. Now, with five properties already removed and a further eight homes at high risk, the Council has confirmed that it will ensure all costs are met, so that those affected are not left out of pocket at a deeply distressing time.
The Council will now seek support with the reimbursement of these costs from the Government and Environment Agency via their Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant scheme. The total demolition costs are expected to be in the region of £330,000 and the Council will provide the additional funding through its reserves. The Council has acted quickly to formally agree this decision, ensuring that funding can be delivered immediately.
Cllr Mark Packard, Cabinet Member for Planning and Coastal Management said, “Property owners are suffering a genuinely devastating experience, and our teams have been working closely with those affected throughout. The issue of demolition costs has been a grave concern to them, and we have always sought to provide reassurance.
“However, the erosion in recent weeks has occurred at such an unprecedented rate that a decision has been taken to immediately ensure costs are covered in the short term. This is a tragedy for property-owners; however, we are able to address one of the most worrying elements of this upsetting situation.”