The Darkness' Justin Hawkins says his parents could be forced to demolish their home on crumbling Suffolk coastline after council ruled out repairing sea defences

Rock star Justin Hawkins has said his elderly parents could be forced to demolish their home on a crumbling coastline after the council ruled out repairing sea defences.The frontman of The Darkness said his parents, Sandy and Harry, who are in their 70s and 80s, are part of a group of homeowners who could be encouraged to leave their properties in Corton, Suffolk.Suffolk has some of the fastest eroding coast in Europe, with 2,500 homes now considered at risk as long-term defences are considered unsafe and beyond cost-effective repair. The East Anglian coastline has been blighted by coastal erosion in recent years with homes in both Hemsby, in Norfolk, and Thorpeness, in Suffolk, being demolished.In a video post shared with his 282,000 followers, Mr Hawkins spoke to his parents about how they may be forced to demolish their home.He said: 'So I've just been for a run down the coast and I was forbidden from going along the promenade cause this has just been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.'They're not going to renew the sea defences apparently, and someone from the council came round and spoke to you dad didn't they?'His father, Harry, said: 'Yes, yeah they just said we advise you to knock your house down and clear off, basically.' The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins shared an Instagram video at his parents' home in Suffolk The crumbling Corton coastline, where residents could be forced to demolish their seaside homeJustin Hawkins replied: 'So, my 71-year-old and 83-year-old parents are now obliged to take a small plot of land in a different town and begin a building project - which, that's just not on.'It's a bloody cheek.'So, here begins my transition into the Feargal Sharkey of coastal sea defences and I'm going to bombard your feed with outraged posts about this bloody awful piece of neglect.'Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk this morning, Mr Hawkins added: 'I think the way it's being handled, I don't think it is conducive to people who thought they'd move to Corton and spend the rest of their lives there, and perhaps see out their existence in that lovely village.'At a drop-in event in Corton in September, residents were told the village's sea defences had suffered significant storm damage and were beyond cost-effective repair.Last winter, a walkway promenade was closed after winter storms caused significant damage while in June, the council improved signage and installed more secure fencing.After the Environment Agency updated its national coastal erosion risk map last year, it showed 'property at risk' in the area. Suffolk has some of the fastest eroding coast in Europe with 2,500 homes at direct riskA post on Mr Hawkins' official Instagram page over the weekend said: 'Activist mode enabled - What do you mean (WDYM) they aren't going to renew the sea defences and residents of my beloved Corton are being encouraged to demolish their houses and go live somewhere else?'An East Suffolk Council spokesman said: 'Through our regular coastal monitoring, we have observed changes to the cliff in this location, which indicates the defence is now reaching the end of its design life.'The defences are beyond cost-effective repair through routine maintenance and would need to be replaced.'We have previously investigated the possibility of a defence scheme, which in 2022 was costed at approximately £26 million.'This cost would now be significantly higher.'We may be eligible to claim Environment Agency funding for such a scheme, which we estimate would provide between £1.5 - £2 million.'This leaves a funding gap of at least £25 million, and we are simply unable to meet this shortfall.'The homeowners have received early advice on preparedness for any possible demolition should erosion progress to a point where the property becomes unsafe.'When homeowners lose their home to erosion, they are eligible for a planning right for an equivalent plot elsewhere in the district if this is something they wish to consider.'This option has been discussed with Mr and Mrs Hawkins.'