Sandgate beach
Beach management work helping to protect more than 3,000 homes and businesses along the Folkestone and Hythe coast from flooding is due to start next week.
This year’s first of the biannual recycling and regrading of shingle between Fisherman’s Beach in Hythe and Folkestone Harbour is to begin on 15 April and will take up to eight weeks to complete.
A Folkestone & Hythe District Council spokesperson said:
“This important work helps shield the sea wall, further reducing the possibility of flooding and coastal erosion over the five-mile stretch.
“Approximately 120,000 tons of shingle will be moved from east to west over the next two months. The longshore drift will then naturally spread it to aid the prevention of overtopping and flooding during storm events.”
“We continue to see the changing climate bringing more severe and unpredictable storms to our area, so it is important we are as prepared as possible.”
The council say that this approach to beach management work is currently the most cost-effective way of protecting our district and offers far superior flood and erosion protection than the old timber groynes.
Many are still hidden below the current level of recycled shingle and do not contain the adequate amount of material required to protect out coastline with rising sea levels.