The shingle ridge, which protects thousands of properties between Hunstanton and Wolferton to the south, has become a point of fierce scrutiny after the Environment Agency warned it could be too expensive to maintain.

An investigation is currently under way to see if a 'trigger point' has been reached, which could prompt a major rethink of the area's defences and could see many of its shoreline caravans moved inland.

Councillor Stuart Dark, leader of the Conservative opposition group (Image: Matthew Usher)

At a recent meeting, Stuart Dark, who heads the Conservative opposition group at West Norfolk Council, put pressure on leader Terry Parish over his administration's response to the issue.

"What I don't want to see is it being a case of 'too little too late,'" Mr Dark said.

He has previously urged the EA to continue its current 'approach of 'holding the line' against the threat of rising sea levels and continue to maintain the shingle ridge regardless of cost.

He highlighted how there is growing concern among locals amid the uncertainty and hit back at previous complaints that he was "scaremongering".

READ MORE: Experts to investigate low-lying coast's sea defences

Looking towards Hunstanton from the top of the bank (Image: Chris Bishop)

But Mr Parish, who leads the ruling Independent coalition, reignited this criticism and said Mr Dark was continuing to "frighten residents".

West Norfolk Council leader Terry Parish (Image: West Norfolk Council)

He claimed the EA is confident the shingle ridge will continue to provide protection and that it has in fact got wider and higher.

He said: "At the moment there is no problem with the shingle ridge. Eventually, in 30/40 years time that shingle ridge will vanish... there is nothing that can stop it.

"It is coastal erosion, this is happening all around the coast - where there are houses falling into the sea from the cliffs - you have to live with it.

"In the meantime, they will need to look at reinforcing secondary defences."

Some of the thousands of properties protected by the sea defences between Hunstanton and Wolferton (Image: Chris Bishop)

An EA report into the shingle ridge is expected to be released in the spring, after which more details will emerge about its future approach to managing the coastline.