A £1.2million scheme for coast defence works at Holland-on-Sea has been given the final all-clear.

The Environment Agency (EA) has approved the project for the Hazlemere Road area and work is due to start later this year.

Tendring District Council (TDC) had previously made a successful bid for a Government grant for 2008/9.

However, the Council still needed the green light from the EA to proceed with the proposals and that is now in place.

Harry Shearing, Portfolio Holder for Technical and Procurement Services at TDC, said he was delighted the bid had got the final go-ahead, but it was far from the ideal solution.

"It certainly should not be seen as the answer to the problems at Holland-on-Sea and along other parts of the Tendring Coastline," he said.

"This really is the bare minimum that it required just to hold things together. It is, as I have said before, a sticking plaster job and is not the long term solution."

Cllr Shearing said that the Council would continue to press the EA for a £24 million project which was submitted to Defra in 2004. Defra had confirmed that the scheme was technically sound - but unaffordable when judged against other national profiles.

"There is an on-going process of trying to resolve serious issues with the District's sea frontage which is particularly vulnerable in Holland-on-Sea, a situation which has not been lost on the residents who live there," he added.

"We will not give up the fight to get the funding needed for a major scheme but in the meantime this work will help to prevent further collapse of the sea wall along this particular part of the coastline."

The works, now valued at £1.2million and previously put at £900,000, will commence in October with a completion date of around April 2009.

The sea wall will be replaced by a new concrete stepped defence that will incorporate a new beach access ramp.

Tendring District Council Officers have been investigating the state of the seawall in the Holland-on-Sea area and have identified this section as the most vulnerable.

Mark Johnson, Flood Risk Manager for the EA, said that he was really pleased that the £1.2million scheme would be starting shortly.

"Whilst this is progressing the EA will continue to work closely with TDC and community representatives to seek an affordable longer term solution for the frontage," he said.

Last year the Council carried out a £400,000 project of emergency works after the collapse of part of the seawall at Holland-on-Sea.

Find out more on our coast defence page.