£6.8M major annual flood defence scheme to begin in Lincshore

Major annual flood defence scheme gets underway, reducing flood risk to thousands of homes and businesses in Lincolnshire.

The Environment Agency have announced that their annual flood defence scheme to replenish beaches and protect thousands of homes and  businesses in Lincolnshire will start this month, which involves dredging sand from the seabed and pumping it onto the beach, replacing levels lost to the sea during the winter.

The £6.8M project, which will begin Monday 24 April, reduces the risk of waves reaching and overtopping the main sea defences, protecting them from damage and erosion.

Approximately 350,000m3 of sand will be dredged from designated areas 20km offshore. The dredger used will be the HAM316, which carries about 10,000 tonnes of sand at a time. The equipment used has the lowest carbon footprint available.

Lincshore covers 20km of beach frontage between Skegness and Mablethorpe.

Mark Robinson, senior coastal advisor at the Environment Agency, said: “The beaches take the brunt of the waves’ energy, which would otherwise impact on coastal defences such as sea walls. Storms and large waves are more frequent during winter months, leading to erosion of the sand from these beaches.

”Replacing the sand helps extend the life of the sea defences – defences that reduce coastal flood risk to more than 30,000 homes and businesses, 19,000 static caravans and 35,000 hectares of land.

“Additionally there’s an amenity value, benefitting and encouraging tourism on the coast, as otherwise there would be very little sand on our beaches.”

The work is planned with local communities and visitors in mind, keeping disruption to a minimum. Sections of the beach will need to be closed at time to ensure safety.

The Environment Agency review the risks for the future and communicate with local communities, businesses and partners.

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