Work to stabilise cliffs in Holland-on-Sea to start today
"This project will safeguard the Holland-on-Sea area for many years to come"
Work to stabilise cliffs in Holland-on-Sea is set to get underway today (28 June).
Contractors Breheny Civil Engineering will be starting the £2.1million scheme on behalf of Tendring District Council (TDC).
Alex Porter, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said the project was not only essential, but would help to improve the area:
"This project will safeguard the Holland-on-Sea area for many years to come, protecting important infrastructure.
"But more than that it will also improve our seafronts, enhancing beach hut provision and ensuring we have beautiful promenades for people to enjoy."
Cllr Carlo Guglielmi, TDC Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Resources, added:
"I am pleased full council agreed in April with the Cabinet decision to reallocate the £1.5million Beach Recharge Reserve to fund this urgent work.
"With the £36m major sea defence project completed several years ago so successful that there is no requirement to top up the beautiful new beach for the foreseeable future, it is eminently sensible to use that money already set aside, instead of having to borrow and create an on-going cost to the public purse."
Around 200 metres of cliff face have slipped since February 2020 along three sections of the Holland-on-Sea seafront.
13 beach huts have been moved for their protection.
It is a different section of cliffs to the stretch that was stabilised under a £5m scheme in 2018-9.
The gradient of the cliffs will be altered as part of the works and drainage installed to reduce the build-up of ground water, which is the primary cause of slippage.
Part of the lower promenade will be closed for safety, with people diverted either along the upper prom or along the beach.
Work is scheduled to finish in early 2022.
A Breheny Civil Engineering spokesman said:
"We are delighted to be working with Tendring District Council on this cliff stabilisation project at Holland-on-Sea.
"Over the last 12 years we have delivered essential coastal protection for the council at various locations along the Tendring coast."
The council has said that if the issue is not addressed the cliffs risk further collapse.
In time, this could lead to the loss of both upper and lower promenades, as well as sewer systems and the seafront road.
As well as stabilising the cliffs and protecting those amenities for the next 50 to 100 years, there is also the potential for works to add provision for 30 new beach huts.