Find out more about the works we complete on an annual basis along the Hunstanton coastline
2022-23 financial year
During the 2022-23 financial year we undertook a range of routine repair work to the Hunstanton sea defences. This included:
- Concrete repairs to slipways, the promenade and seawall
- Mortar repairs to the seawall
- Routine maintenance of all floodgates
- Repairs to navigation markers
- Jetting of Borough Council owned outfalls
- Health and safety works
The total cost of routine repair works for the 2022-23 financial year was £66,863.80.
You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
2023-24 financial year
During the 2023-24 financial year we undertook a range of routine repair works to the Hunstanton sea defences. This included:
- Concrete repairs to slipways, the promenade and seawall
- Repairs to navigation markers
- Jetting and routine repairs to Borough Council owned outfalls
- Health and safety works.
The total cost of routine repair works for the 2023-24 financial year was £183,076.68.
You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
2024-25 financial year
So far, this financial year we have already completed a range of routine repair works to the Hunstanton sea defences. This incudes:
- Routine concrete repairs to the promenade, seawall and slipways.
- Replacement of joint sealant on the wave-return wall.
- Extensions of a handrailing on a slipway.
- Replacement of a handrailing on the promenade.
- Health and safety works to timber groynes and concrete groynes.
Concrete groyne removals
A recent health and safety inspection of the concrete groynes identified that some health and safety removal works were required to concrete groynes 7, 8 and 9. This involved removing some of the horizontal concrete planks from these groynes. This work was undertaken between Monday 21st October and Wednesday 23rd October 2024.
You can find out more in our Hunstanton concrete groyne removal works document.
Redundant cliff fence removal
An inspection of the cliff top fence associated with the Hunstanton Cliffs identified 4 separate locations of fencing which require removal. For each of these locations, the fencing is historical and is now either at the cliff edge or hanging over the cliff edge. Another 2 to 4 lines of fencing remain in place on the cliff top for each of the identified locations, maintaining a safe distance from the cliff top green to the cliff edge.
A specialist abseiling contractor has been appointed to complete removal of redundant concrete fence posts and fencing wire. Removal works will take 5 working days to complete and are scheduled to commence Monday 25th November 2024.
You can find out more in our Hunstanton cliff fence removal works document.
Total cost of routine repair works for the 2024-25 financial year, as of November 2024, is £144,657.55.
You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
Upcoming works - geotechnical investigations
Commencing on Monday 21 October 2024, we will be undertaking a series of geotechnical investigations to the Hunstanton sea defences.
Geotechnical investigations inspect the condition of parts of a structure which are located below the ground surface and therefore cannot be visually inspected. Outcomes of these investigations will be used to assess the current structural condition of the Hunstanton sea defences and to inform future work requirements to maintain the standard of protection the defences provide.
We will be undertaking three types of geotechnical investigations:
Trial Pits
Trial pits involve excavating ground material, such as sand, to inspect the condition of parts of a structure which are normally buried beneath the surface.
25 trial pits will be dug into beach material along the base of the Hunstanton seawall via excavator, from the Sea Life Centre to where the defences meet the Hunstanton Cliffs. This will allow a coastal engineer to inspect the condition of the seawall foundations which are normally buried beneath beach material. Once the inspection is complete, the trial pit will be backfilled.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
GPR involves sending non-destructive radio waves down into a structure which then ‘bounce back’ when they encounter different material types, such as concrete and metals. This process creates a digital image which helps to determine the internal condition of a structure.
All 1.5km of the Hunstanton promenade, from the power boat ramp to where the defences end at the Hunstanton Cliffs, will be surveyed using GPR to confirm the promenades internal structural condition.
Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)
FWD involves simulating loads which are applied to the surface of a structure, such as vehicle movements, to determine its structural condition and weight bearing capacity.
All 1.5km of the Hunstanton promenade, from the power boat ramp to where the defences end at the Hunstanton Cliffs, will be surveyed using FWD to confirm the promenades current weight bearing capacity to occasional vehicle traffic.
To find out more about the geotechnical investigations we will be undertaking, you can view our geotechnical investigations frequently asked questions document.
Further information
If you need to speak to us about the work undertaken to the Hunstanton coastal defences, you can contact us at any time by email at floodandwatermanagement@west-norfolk.gov.uk.