A £2.1MILLION project to stabilise a section of crumbling cliffs in Holland-on-Sea will get underway next week.

Contractors Breheny Civil Engineering will begin work on the Tendring Council scheme from June 28.

Alex Porter, the council's cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said the project was not only essential, but would help to improve the area.

“This project will safeguard the Holland-on-Sea area for many years to come, protecting important infrastructure,” he said.

“But more than that it will also improve our seafronts, enhancing beach hut provision and ensuring we have beautiful promenades for people to enjoy.”

Carlo Guglielmi, cabinet member for finance and corporate resources, added: “I am pleased full council agreed in April with the cabinet decision to reallocate the £1.5million Beach Recharge Reserve to fund this urgent work.

"With the £36million major sea defence project completed several years ago so successful that there is no requirement to top up the beautiful new beach for the foreseeable future, it is eminently sensible to use that money already set aside, instead of having to borrow and create an on-going cost to the public purse.”

Along three sections of the Holland-on-Sea seafront, around 200 metres of cliff face have slipped since February 2020, with 13 beach huts needing to be moved.

It is a different section of cliffs to the stretch that was stabilised under a £5million scheme in 2018.

Through the works the gradient of the cliffs will be altered and drainage installed to reduce the build-up of ground water, which is the primary cause of slippage.

To allow the work to take place safely, part of the lower promenade will be closed, with people diverted either along the upper prom or along the beach.

A Breheny Civil Engineering spokesman said the work is scheduled for completion in early 2022.

He added: “We are delighted to be working with Tendring Council on this cliff stabilisation project at Holland-on-Sea.

"Over the last 12 years we have delivered essential coastal protection for the council at various locations along the Tendring coast.”

The council said that if it was not addressed the cliffs risk further collapse which, in time, could lead to the loss of both upper and lower promenades, as well as sewer systems and the seafront road.

As well as stabilising the cliffs and protecting those amenities for the next 50 to 100 years, there is also the potential for works to add provision for 30 new beach huts.