Council to spend £1.2m on 'degraded' sea wall

Overstrand's sea wall has been damaged in recent years, and earlier this month part of it was closed to the public following a cliff-slip

A council has agreed to spend £1.28m to improve sea defences which councillors were told had become "severely degraded".

Cabinet members of the Liberal Democrat-controlled North Norfolk District Council voted to back proposals to carry out work on the sea wall at Overstrand.

A report warned that two major fractures have appeared in the wall, which has become undermined as sand on the beach has been washed away.

It recommended that the local authority approved the works and advised that the council may be able to get a grant of about £400,000 from the government to help with costs.

Council leader Tim Adams said it was "crucial work that we've got to get on top of".

A section of the wall that is often used as a promenade was closed to the public earlier this month after what was described as a "cliff-slip".

Coastal erosion has been a serious issue along the north Norfolk coastline for some time, with Happisburgh badly affected.

Meanwhile, major work has taken place to better protect Cromer and Mundesley.

Work began last year to improve coastal defences at Cromer, with 32,500 tonnes of rock being added to the shoreline

The report on Overstrand's sea wall warned that if it were to fail, there would be "a significantly detrimental impact" on the local community and economy.

It said in the last financial year, more than a third of the council's coastal repair and maintenance budget of £300,000 had been spent on works in the village – and that costs were likely to keep increasing.