Woman devastated over Pakefield chalet demolition

Jacky Campling says it seemed like the right thing to do to be at the chalet to say goodbye as it is demolished

A woman has spoken of her "devastation" as she prepares to watch her family's holiday home be demolished due to coastal erosion.

The chalet in Pakefield, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, has been in Jacky Campling's family for over 20 years.

Another chalet was demolished in February 2022, with the last three due to be taken down at the weekend.

Coastal Partnership East assessed the site before Storm Babet last month.

Two-thousand tonnes of rocks were placed on the beach to try to stop further erosion.

East Suffolk Council previously said Pakefield had been subject to "unprecedented rates of coastal erosion" since 2019

But the partnership said the remaining properties were still in "danger of being structurally undermined by shoreline degradation" and needed to be demolished.

The body represents Great Yarmouth Borough Council, North Norfolk District Council and East Suffolk Council.

Ms Campling said she never imagined it would come to the point of demolition.

She said: "We found paperwork that in 2007 there was a five-year plan and if they'd done something at that point maybe none of us would have lost the houses.

"It's such a lovely place, it's so sad and it's not just us. Obviously there's erosion around the country.

The family managed to move out the last of their belongings before the demolition

"It's not just us, it's our children and now our children's children and we hoped we could allow them the privilege of having it and being in it as well."

She said her family was "devastated" but wanted to be there in person to see it be demolished and "say goodbye".

Ms Campling said she was taking time to "reflect on it all, to look around while it's still standing and enjoy the view and think of the lovely times we had here".