Drop in to learn about new Skegness sea wall and prom improvements
Construction of a new sea defence and widening of the Skegness seafront promenade will start this month – and people who live and work in the area have been invited to a drop-in session to learn more.
Plans will be on display and members of the project team will be available to answer questions on Wednesday, 18 February from noon to 4pm at the Embassy Theatre, Grand Parade, Skegness.
The work is to replace the sea wall located between the RNLI station and Scarborough Esplanade, which was damaged by the 2013 tidal surge.
Kevin Abbott, Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Advisor at the Environment Agency, said:
Replacing the damaged sea wall will reduce flood risk to local homes and businesses and will support the resort’s tourism industry, benefitting residents and visitors alike.
This work has been planned with public safety in mind, and while some disruption will be unavoidable, we will do our best to minimise this – for example, by pausing construction during the busy holiday season.
People familiar with the area will notice that we’ve already been on-site during the initial phase of the work, and we’ve made sure the promenade will still be accessible during the work as the new sea wall will be constructed behind the old one.
Initial work was completed at the end of last year to clear the area of sand, which had built up over the years, to investigate for weak points in the sea defence, and to identify any buried services such as electricity supply cables.
The designs have now been finalised and construction of the new wall will begin this month. Work will pause during the Easter and May bank holidays, as well as the busy summer period from June to September, to avoid disruption. Construction will restart in September and is expected to finish before Christmas.
Improvements to the promenade, which will double its width and install 140m of seating along its 300m length, have been funded by East Lindsey District Council.