A £1m boardwalk will form part of a new coastal trail.

Norfolk County Council has applied for planning permission to replace the wooden structure between Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe with a new surface made from glass-reinforced plastic planks.

They offer a lifespan of 75 years, compared to a decade or so for a wooden boardwalk.

The council hopes to start work in the autumn and complete the work by the end of the year.

The mile or so of new boardwalk will link up with the opening of the last stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path in Norfolk, between Hunstanton and the county’s border with Lincolnshire.

This will mean the public will soon be able to enjoy an uninterrupted journey along the whole of the Norfolk coastline.

Eastern Daily Press: The boardwalk will run along the edge of the tidal saltmarsh at BrancasterThe boardwalk will run along the edge of the tidal saltmarsh at Brancaster (Image: Newsquest)

Council deputy leader Andrew Jamieson, who is also chair of Norfolk’s National Trails Partnership, said: "This is a really special location.

"We’ve looked rigorously at the costs and benefits of this spend and, in the long-term, this gives us by far the best value and outcome for public access, the wildlife and the businesses that thrive here.

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"The path runs through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and it is something that everyone should feel welcome and able to enjoy."

Thousands of visitors come every year to enjoy the spectacular views, as well wildlife like the thousands of geese which spend the winter on the coast.

Eastern Daily Press: Pink footed geese take to the wing at BrancasterPink footed geese take to the wing at Brancaster (Image: Ian Burt)

But last summer saw the boardwalk begin to deteriorate, as visitor numbers surged post-pandemic.

The boardwalk is in one of Norfolk’s – and the country’s – most environmentally protected locations, sitting in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Special Protection Area (SPA), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Funding for the replacement, which will cost £1,060,000, comes from supporters including Natural England, which is responsible for National Trails.