MORE than 1,400 properties are to benefit as work begins on a coastal flood defence scheme in south-east England.

The Broomhill Sands Coastal Defence Scheme will cover 2.4km of beach from The Suttons, Camber to the western boundary of Lydd Ranges, in Kent.

The Environment Agency has appointed Team Van Oord to construct the scheme.

It will include a new 1.7km rock revetment and tidal wave wall and increasing the amount of shingle along 700 metres of the beach.

A number of the existing timber groynes will be replaced with eight new 54m groynes to stabilise the beach and retain beach material

Access will be widened and improved along the tops of the sea defences. Rock for the new revetment will be imported from Norway and will be delivered by barge.

Works are scheduled for completion in December 2015 and will improve the flood protection to more than 1,300 homes and 100 businesses.

It will do so by increasing the standard of protection to the area from 1 in 20 years to 1 in 200 years.

The scheme will also protect vital infrastructure in the area including the main coastal road and sewage treatment works.

The initiative is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Environment Agency.

Artist Will Nash will design and produce some sculptures which will be worked into the final scheme.

Sculptures are to be formed out of the remnant timber groynes and will be installed in the area.

In order to construct the scheme safely, sections of beach will need to be closed periodically throughout the project.

As much of the beach will be made available to the public as possible, with a minimum of 200metres always open.

Environment Agency operations manager Ian Nunn described the work as an essential project.

Our team will make every effort to minimise the impact on local communities, he said.

Work would be restricted to between 8am and 6pm.