Flood defence works to continue after £2.35m grant

Work to protect flood defences in Folkestone will continue after an Environment Agency grant, the local council says

Works to maintain beach flood defences will continue after a successful £2.35m funding bid, a Kent council says.

Shingle between Fisherman's Beach and Folkestone Harbour will continue to be recycled and regraded for the next five years after the district council secured funding from the Environment Agency.

The works, which take place bi-annually, will help to protect over 3,000 properties from flooding, the council said.

Stephen Scoffham, cabinet member for climate, environment and biodiversity on Folkestone and Hythe District Council, said the work offered "effective and important protection against coastal flooding for thousands of residents".

The technique of recycling the shingle, which has been used since 2004, is the most cost-effective way of maintaining the natural defences on the beach, the council said.

Previous timber groynes on the 7km (4.3 mile) stretch of beach are not adequate to cope with rising sea levels, it added.

The works involve moving about 140,000 tonnes of shingle, the council said.