Preparations have begun for the continuation of a multi-million pound project to reduce the risk of tidal flooding and maintain beaches on the Lincolnshire coast on the east coast of the UK.

The Environment Agency has set up the compound for its Lincshore beach re-nourishment project. Lincshore aims to combat the decrease in sand levels and increased risk of flooding caused by coastal erosion.

Dredging for Lincshore 2010 will begin in the middle of July and is expected to finish at the end of  September. It will see 400,000 cubic metres of sand pumped onto 20km of beach, including Trusthorpe, Boygrift, Trunch Lane, Chapel Six Marshes and Moggs Eye, at a cost of £6 million.

The mammoth scheme helps to prevent flooding on the Lincolnshire coast and maintains protection against a one in 200 year flood (0.5 per cent) for 30,000 properties and 35,000 hectares of land.

In addition, the work also helps maintain the beaches as tourist attractions – without it there would be little sand.

Mike Dugher, Environment Agency Area Coastal Manager, said: “Increasing the level of the beach reduces the risk of waves reaching the main defences and going over the seawalls. It protects the clay foreshore against further erosion and prevents rapid deterioration of the defences.

“If the defences along the beaches which rely on the Lincshore project failed, there could be extensive damage to property and distress and disruption among local communities. Tens of thousands of homes would be at severe risk of flooding, along with commercial and industrial properties. A number of important environmental sites would also be affected.

“During the works, there will be some unavoidable disruption to people in the area but we will make every effort to reduce this as much as possible. We hope they will understand the importance of carrying out this work to ensure properties and business along the Lincolnshire coast remain protected against tidal flooding and the area can look forward to a vibrant economic future.”

The Lincshore re-nourishment scheme began in 1994 and covers beaches from Mablethorpe to Skegness.

Each year, sand is dredged from licensed sites offshore and pumped onto beaches to replace material lost to erosion over winter.

The project is reviewed every five years to ensure it remains the best option for protecting homes and businesses from flooding. A review last year concluded it was and this year marks the start of another five-year programme which will see £30 million spent protecting the coastline.

Story on the Dredging News Online website

More than 360,000 cubic metres of sand will be added to a beach on the Norfolk Coast as part of an £8.8m project to prevent the Broads from flooding.

Work to limit the flood risk to the Broads from the coast between Happisburgh and Winterton is well under way and recharging the beach with sand begins on Monday .

Three out of nine new rock groynes have been finished with rocks brought in by sea from Norway on a 20,000 tonne barge. They replace existing timber and steel groynes between Horsey and Winterton Ness Gap.

Other parts of the scheme involve recharging the beach with 360,000m3 of sand between Sea Palling and Poplar Farm Gap, reconstruction of a 275m long section of rock revetment (rocks placed to protect the seawall from wave action) at Eccles and 25,000m3 of beach recycling (the relocation of a small amount of sand from behind a reef to an area where the beach is low, also at Eccles).

The scheme is a direct result of the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) for the area, which recommended that along the coast from Eccles to Winterton the line of existing flood defences should be held until at least the medium term (the next 50 years) and will be completed by early January next year.

The new groynes will add to a series of offshore reefs constructed around the site in 1993 and 1997 to protect the most vulnerable areas and bring protection to 500 houses.

Story by Dan Grimmer in the Norwich Evening News