88-year-old widow faces demolition of £1m clifftop home as Suffolk cliff erodes

An 88-year-old widow in Thorpeness, Suffolk, faces the possible demolition of her £1 million clifftop home as coastal erosion advances toward the cliff edge. Jean Flick has lived in the four-bedroom house for 25 years and remains hopeful she can stay while it is safe to do so. Authorities say that if the cliff edge moves within five metres of the building, the property must be demolished.

Flick has watched the cliff retreat and says she fears what the coming months may bring. Neighbouring properties have already been lost to erosion, including one home on her street that was demolished in 2022. She had hoped sea defences could be constructed at the cliff base to slow the process, but she has been told that no such work is likely. Officials cited access problems with machinery and concerns that heavy equipment could damage the land above the cliff line, leaving residents essentially on their own while the situation plays out. She remains determined to stay in the home while possible, but a scenario in which she ends up living in a caravan or a tent on common land has been described as a possible outcome by her.

She says the house was built in 1928 and originally had five bedrooms; it was later reduced to four after one room was converted to a sitting area to enjoy sea views. Flick lost her first husband to cancer and remarried in 1999; she and her second husband bought the home as a fresh start. With the cliff edge continuing to erode, they face the prospect that the property could be lost if the land gives way further.

Thorpeness lies about two miles south of Sizewell, where a new nuclear power station is under construction. The broader coastline is governed by a Shoreline Management Plan developed by the Environment Agency and the local council, which follows a policy of managed realignment. Under that approach, some measures are allowed to slow erosion but protecting the cliff base entirely is not promised, and retreat is expected to continue in many places.

Storm Babet in 2023 is cited by residents and officials as a factor accelerating cliff erosion in the area. Officials say the situation will be reviewed in the new year, but the plan does not foresee substantial defenses to stop erosion along this stretch. The case underscores how climate-driven coastal changes are affecting families living on the edge of the sea and how policy choices about retreat versus protection are playing out in real terms.