Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
AT RISK AS CLIFF KEEPS CRUMBLING Life on the edge
Families’ despair The ‘forgotten as they battle to village’ left to save their houses fight on alone
last summer, they were among a group of 30 who were evacuated and put into emergency accommodation.
They had to spend two months in a caravan park before moving back.
Edd, who had surgery for lung cancer last year and was shielding at the time, said they have been told to think about permanently moving, but they are financially stuck.
He said this could be the reality for other communities around the country at risk of coastal erosion.
With no compensation or plan to help rehome these villagers, they say they have no option but to stay and fight to save their properties.
Edd and others are now desperately trying to rebuild the cliff with soil, although they have been ordered by Swale council to stop.
The authority says it is concerned about the “ecological effect” the soil dumping would have on the adjacent site of special scientific interest.
Edd said: “What I don’t understand is that the SSSI is supposed to protect the environment and wildlife. How the hell is letting all of that go protecting the environment or the wildlife?
“It’s not costing the council anything, but shoring up the cliff will hold our homes back.”
Neighbour Malcolm Newell,
72, also refuses to leave.
He said: “There’s such a great community here. But we are a forgotten village.” Malcolm is chairman of the Eastchurch Cliff Erosion Community Group, which has been campaigning for better protection for the properties since 2015.
His home, which he moved into 20 years ago for the view across the North Sea, holds precious memories of times spent with his late wife.
A deal with a private contractor was made so the cliff would be shored up with unwanted clay in the hope of eventually building the former road back to land level.
The villagers had cleared the debris, and were set to fill the 20ft-deep hole when they were ordered to stop.
Malcolm said: “We really need to be allowed to get a move on with the work as it’s only a matter of time until we lose more of our community.
“The window to protect our homes gets smaller with every day. The Environment Agency and Swale council have completely neglected us.”
The council said a specialist survey carried out after the collapse
“put it down to [the] natural erosion process along this stretch of coast”.
The authority did not respond when asked what is in place to safeguard homes, whether there are relocation plans for affected families and if compensation is being lined up.
Over 5.2 million properties in England are believed to be at risk from flooding and coastal erosion.
Although erosion of our coastline has always taken place, it is now accelerating due to climate change.
Extreme weather such as superstorms occur more often, resulting in stronger winds, more intense rain, higher tides and bigger waves.
Each day I wake up worried and see how much more of the cliff has disappeared EDD CANE DESCRIBES WHAT IT IS LIKE LIVING IN HIS HOME