Emergency �1.5m coastal defence scheme to start
EMERGENCY flood protection work is set to start along a sensitive stretch of Suffolk coast that has been regularly battered by the North Sea.
Craig Robinson
EMERGENCY flood protection work is set to start along a sensitive stretch of Suffolk coast that has been regularly battered by the North Sea.
The Environment Agency confirmed yesterday that 12,000 tonnes of rock will be brought in from France to shore up defences at East Lane, Bawdsey, near Woodbridge.
Work is due to start on Monday after high tides removed the shingle bank.
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It is hoped the material will reduce the risk of flooding to large areas of low-lying land in the villages of Bawdsey, Alderton and Hollesley.
The scheme - which is expected to cost �1.5m - has been designed by Royal Haskoning and will be carried out by Team van Oord.
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The footpath on the flood defence will be diverted and part of the car park will be closed for the duration of the work, which is expected to take six to eight weeks.
Andrew Usborne, project manager for the Environment Agency, said: “Because of the volatility of the beach with the shingle washing in and out with the tides, we decided now was the time to place something more permanent on the beach to protect the land behind.
“We hope the diversion of the footpath and the closure of part of the car park does not cause too much inconvenience.”
The coastline at Bawdsey has been vulnerable for many years - a situation that forced campaigners to take matters into their own hands and form the East Lane Trust.
The group led an innovative community project to fund their own sea defences through the sale of land to developers - work that was completed in June last year.
