Villagers in Norfolk in fear of a scheme to flood them to save the coast have been told that is not the government’s intention.

The floods minister, Phil Woolas, has been visiting Sea Palling, 15 miles up the coast from Great Yarmouth.

He told people there that a scenario by Natural England to allow six villages to succumb to rising sea levels, was not what was going to happen.

He said it was the government’s duty to protect the area.

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A campaigner who has been told her house is worth less than a loaf of bread will today try to show the man in charge of the nation’s sea defences the true human cost of the government’s coastal policies.

The bungalow Jane Archer and her partner bought as a happy family home 21 years ago is still 60m from the clifftop, but is now worth just £1.

Today when environment minister Phil Woolas makes a fact-finding visit to north Norfolk over erosion and flooding issues she will be among the people keen to show him the impact of the government policy of abandoning sea defences without any compensation.

“I will tell him he is destroying our lives,” said 49-year-old Ms Archer. “Lots of money is spent by the authorities compensating and finding new habitats for rare birds whose homes are threatened by climate and coastal management changes - but what about people? Are they just going to let my house fall over the edge of a cliff, and leave us with nothing?” (more…)