More than £500,000 needs to be spent on improving and maintaining sea defences along the Tendring coastline over the next year, it has been revealed.

Tendring Council needs to find the cash for minor repair work as well as major repairs and refurbishment along the 18.5km it manages.

So far, the council has budgeted for £470,620, which includes £101,020 for the year-on-year smaller schemes and £369,600 for the larger works.

Any renewal of structures is carried out through funds from the Government.

The latest check on the defences indicates that the council needs to spend £520,000 on projects, which is a current shortfall of £50,000.

A report by Tom Mackinlay, head of technical and procurement services, states: "The budgetary provision is by comparison low, but of the right order."

A special five-year rolling programme of works has been set up but changed to take into account of emergencies or priorities that arise in the meantime due to storm activity or erosion.

Among the most expensive projects for 2002/3 are £130,000 on reinforcing the high wall at Frinton and £119,000 on Harwich promenade.

Published Wednesday, March 6, 2002