A HUGE new multi-million seaside project hopes to protect a much-loved beach in the UK.
The beach at Yaverland village on the Isle of Wight is at huge risk of erosion in the next few decades.
Sea defences in Yaverland on the Isle of Wight could be improved under £40million plans[/caption]
Under the plans, the sea wall will be raised ever so slightly to protect the beach and the seaside village from erosion and flooding[/caption]
Plans to upgrade sea defences in Yaverland were put forward by the Environment Agency and Isle of Wight Council yesterday.
The Yaverland Coastal Defence Scheme is expected to cost as much as £40.6million.
It will upgrade more than a mile of coastal defences in Yaverland, a seaside town on the British island.
Defences between Fort Street and the Yaverland Long Stay car park will be improved under the plans in the bid to save Yaverland Beach, nearby homes and business from erosion and flooding.
Local residents have been reassured that the current sea wall will only be raised slightly.
The new sea defences will also help to preserve over 300 hectares of habitat for the next 50 years and help to maintain sand levels.
Access to Yaverland Beach will also be improved under the plans.
The current seawall will also get a renovation, with artwork and mural to be added to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.
Construction work on the coastal defences is set to start later this decade.
It is hoped that the entire project will be complete by 2030.
Yaverland Beach is often regarded as one of the best beaches on the Isle of Wight.
The long sandy beach is great for swimming and is popular with watersports enthusiasts who can kite surf, windsurf and surf at Yaverland Beach.
It’s not the beach on the island undergoing huge improvements.
The nearby Shanklin beach also has plans for a £35million coastal defence project which is likely to start first.
Last year, the Isle of Wight was named the best region in the UK for caravan getaways by Go Outdoors.
It’s also said to be the sunniest spot in the country, with Met Office data revealing it’s the only part of the country to have more than five hours of sunshine per day.
But another beach at risk of disappearing is Covhithe Beach in Suffolk.
Despite attempts to reduce the risk of erosion, there are fears the wild beach could be gone as soon as 2040.
And Southport, one of England’s oldest seaside towns is at risk of losing its beach forever.
What’s it like on the Isle of Wight?
SUN Journalist Veronica Lorraine recently visited the Isle of Wight, here’s what she thought:
“Stepping foot on the island is like stepping back in time to a perfectly preserved previous era, in the best way possible.
“It reminds me of a reassuring time of bucket-and-spade holidays, beachside penny arcades, village carnivals and buying a quarter of lemon sherbets for 45p.
“Even though it was winter, we couldn’t resist a visit to the seaside town of Ryde, with classic arcades, old-school bowling alleys and restaurants aplenty, all of which took me back to my Eighties holidays.
“But whether or not it was the food shacks on windswept beaches, roaring fires in cosy pubs, or woolly alpacas nuzzling up to us, I truly felt like the island was welcoming me back with open arms.”
You can read more about her visit, here.
One woman has revealed how she swapped her fancy holidays abroad for staycations in the UK.
Laura Edwards and her family now holiday on the Isle of Wight once a month.
Work on the coastal defences will start later this decade[/caption]
