A stretch of the Lower Promenade at Holland-on-Sea will remain closed to vehicles this summer due to safety fears.

Tendring District Council (TDC) was forced into taking a decision to shut off a length of the promenade last year due to serious and ongoing erosion which threatened the stability of the seawall.

That situation has not changed and the stretch from Hazelmere Road to the Esplanade will be off limits to vehicles until further notice.
Council officers are unable to guarantee safe access to this area of the promenade for vehicles and have been left with no choice other than to continue with the ban.

Cllr Harry Shearing, Portfolio Holder for Technical Services at TDC, said it was an unfortunate situation but safety had to come first.
Due to dropping levels of the beach and the damage caused by wave action to the seawall there is a serious risk of collapse along that stretch, he said.

The only exception to the ban will be for vehicles which need access to carry out emergency maintenance and repairs.
The alternative, if that limited access was not allowed - would be to have to close off the Lower Promenade in that area altogether, which we obviously do not want to do.

The ban will affect a number of beach hut owners; those in sections B to H; who will be unable to take their cars down to their beach huts to unload and load.
Cllr Pierre Oxley, Portfolio Holder for Leisure at TDC, said that he appreciated this would be inconvenient for some but asked hut owners to be patient.

The Council is working very hard to deal with the issue of the seas defences in this area; as well as other areas along the coastline, he said.

Owners will still be able to get to their huts this summer and use them but will not be able to take their cars down there.

Cllr Oxley added that he understood that owners could get annoyed when they saw TDC vehicles allowed access to the Lower Promenade but that access will be very limited - and only in emergency situations to carry out vital work.

The Council is continuing to lobby for funding to carry out a comprehensive programme of works to upgrade sea defences. In the meantime it will carry out emergency repairs to hold the existing line of sea defences.