£28.6m investment in Great Yarmouth sea wall defences - work to protect homes from flooding officially underway

Ground is being broken on Great Yarmouth's tidal defence scheme to protect more than 2,000 homes.

The Environment Agency (EA) is spending £28.6m repairing 600 metres of flood wall in Cobholm and Southtown.

The first phase will see 128 metres of existing defences between Richard's Dry Dock and Ferry Lane being reconstructed - with new steel sheet piles topped with reinforced concrete flood wall, and tomorrow key partners will meet on site to officially mark the start of the scheme.

Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis, who will open the site, said: 'The new and improved tidal defences will be yet another sign to the outside world of the area's economic importance.

'Over 2,000 properties – homes and businesses – will be better protected by this project, giving peace of mind to families in Cobholm and Southtown, security to companies based there and making the area increasingly attractive to investors – helping to make it clearer than ever that Great Yarmouth is a great place to live and an important hub for the renewable energy industry.'

Dr Charles Beardall, EA area manager said: 'We are delighted to be starting work on replacing and repairing the Great Yarmouth tidal defences. These will be important assets to Great Yarmouth. The whole scheme will protect over 2,000 properties as well as important county assets and commercial operations'.