Eastoke Beach replenished to protect Hayling Island homes

Material is being dredged from Chichester Harbour approach channel

An operation has begun to replenish a beach in Hampshire that has suffered sea erosion.

The three-day project will involve pumping 10,000 cubic metres of shingle on to Eastoke Beach in Hayling Island.

The material, being dredged from Chichester Harbour approach channel, will be distributed over the beach in front of Creek Road car park.

The scheme, paid for by the Environment Agency, aims to protect 1,700 homes from coastal flooding.

A council spokesman said: "The shingle beach along Eastoke is the primary line of defence against erosion and flooding, however coastal processes are constantly eroding it.

"Without regular intervention, the densely populated area of Eastoke would quickly become vulnerable to flooding and coastal erosion."

In January 2014, the promenade was flooded as storms and tides combined, battering coastal defences.

In 2013, the Environment Agency spent £5m installing stone groynes at nearby Eastoke Point using 70,000 tonnes of rock imported from Norway.