A Great Yarmouth flood defence project has received a £5.4m boost as part of a national cash injection into coastal defences.

An additional £40m of government funding will benefit 13 flood defence schemes across the country, which should help to provide extra protection to an additional 7,000 properties.

Great Yarmouth’s allocation will go towards the second phase of the Great Yarmouth Flood Defence Improvements project.

The scheme will cost a total of £39m and will see nearly four kilometres of flood defence walls built and refurbished, protecting housing and businesses.

In May, the project received a grant of £8.2m after the board of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) approved the grant from its Local Growth Fund.

Abigail Singleton, environment agency senior advisor to the Great Yarmouth project, welcomed the funds.

She said: “This is fantastic news for Great Yarmouth’s future development. We’ve worked with a range of partners on this project who all recognise the importance of investing in the town’s flood risk infrastructure.

“Together with Great Yarmouth Borough Council we’ve supported local businesses to form the Tidal Defence Business Partnership that will steer the delivery of the project. We’re also working closely with New Anglian Local Enterprise Partnership, benefiting from their expertise in flood risk infrastructure investment and its role in delivering economic growth and further development in Great Yarmouth. This truly is a team effort.”

The first phase of defences saw steel pipes repaired in the Southtown and Cobholm areas of the town and in a joint statement the leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, councillor Graham Plant, chairman of the Environment Committee, councillor Carl Smith and Labour group leader, councillor Trevor Wainwright, commended the “huge vote of confidence”.

They said: “This important and welcome £5.4m investment from DEFRA, in addition to the £8.2m already agreed from New Anglia LEP, completes the partnership funding required for the £39m second phase of the tidal defences scheme, and represents a huge vote of confidence in the borough’s growth prospects as the offshore energy hub for the Southern North Sea and as a major holiday destination.”

Wiggenhall Tidal Riverbanks works has also been awarded an additional £200,000 of funding.