'Village of the damned' to be lost to the sea

Legal action brewing

The village’s 1,100 residents are now clubbing together to pay for legal action and say they have already got 10% of the amount they need to hire a barrister.

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Built in around 1900 the village’s first properties were constructed on land reclaimed from the sea and are only just above sea level.

The sea defences protecting the village from the fate the council feel is inevitable were built in the 19th century.

A council document laying out the planned changes suggests trying to defend the village could ultimately put people’s lives at risk.

It reads: “In the medium term over the next 50 years plans have to have been put in place and implemented to abandon defences and for the people to relocate. In the long term defences would not be maintained.

“It is possible to increase the levels of defences. The embankment could be raised, shingle could be brought in to defend the shoreline, and pumps could be installed to deal with increased rainfall.

“This would incur very significant cost with ongoing increase in costs.

“Even in attempting to defend people this risk is such that should defences be overtopped, or worse still breached, then the consequences would be immense and put people’s lives at risk.”

WalesOnline