Homes are protected after tidal surge on East Coast
DOZENS OF homes are being protected in an East Coast town after urgent works were ordered following a tidal surge.
Around £1m is being spent strengthening the Seathorne revetment, which protects around 65 houses at the top of the cliffs.
A scheme was drawn up after the East Coast took a battering in January. Engineers had been particularly worried about the area at the very northern end of Withernsea.
Mike Ball, principal engineer at East Riding Council, was among those inspecting the cliffs by lamplight in the early hours during the surge.
He said: “We were particularly concerned because the weather forecasts indicated a very strong north easterly, which does the most damage as regards erosion.
“The revetment that was there was being supported at the front by piles which we felt weren’t going in far enough. What we needed to do was get a scheme quickly in place that would bolster the support.”
Another £2m is being spent replacing a section of groynes – timber planking walls running down the beach which help trap sand – which date back to the latter part of the 19th century. They are being built out of a strong, dense South American timber called greenheart. Mr Ball said: “They have been hardly maintained between then and now. The decision was taken some time ago to actually renew them.”
Coun Dave Tucker, who represents South East Holderness, said: “This is protecting local people and the coast. It is refreshing to see some serious investment going into Withernsea.
“The engineers were really concerned that houses were going to fall in the sea and they were there at 4am in the morning as they thought it would slip. It would have been catastrophic.”
Both schemes should last at least another 50 years. Coincidentally both are due to be completed on December 8. Funding came from the Government, via the Environment Agency.