AN EXHIBITION on the £5million scheme to stabilise the cliffs along the Clacton and Holland coastline is set to take place in the New Year.

Residents of both areas are being invited to go to the event which is being held at the Kings Cliff Hotel in Holland on Monday, January 16.

Officers will be on hand to answer questions and coastal specialist engineers Mott MacDonald has been appointed to carry out the ground investigation and deign work for the project.

It will follow on from last year’s completion of coastal protection work between Clacton and Holland, which created 23 new beaches and rock groynes along 5km of coastline.

The ground investigation works are to take place over the coming months on the cliffs east of Clacton Pier.

Tendring Council said recent instabilities and weather events have led to some of the slopes becoming over steep. They will require regrading in places, drainage being replaced and retaining structures being constructed at the bottom of the slope.

Cabinet members backed the scheme last December, finding more than £2 million of funding from the coastal protection scheme, which cost £33 million, instead of a budgeted £36 million. It also finished a year ahead of schedule.

The work was funded by the Environment Agency, Tendring Council, Essex County Council and Anglian Water.

The Environment Agency is stumping up nearly £2 million of unused money, £81,000 is coming from Tendring Council and Anglian Water is contributing £3 million.

Nick Turner, councillor responsible for commercialisation, said he hopes people will attend the exhibition.

He said:“It is all about keeping our residents fully informed about what is taking place, where and when.

“This is a vital initiative which will be carried out in phases and the initial ground investigations and design work will be the first step along the way.

“Officers will be able to explain the various issues and discuss the ground investigations which will be taking place over the coming months.”

Mr Turner promised that the exhibition, which will run from 10am to 6.30pm , is the first of a number of public engagement exercises which will be staged during the course of the scheme.