The Environment Agency has appointed Team Van Oord to construct the scheme, which will cover 2.4km of beach from The Suttons, Camber to the western boundary of Lydd Ranges.

Work was due to start in July, but difficulties in finalising the contract with the constructors meant that the start of construction of the 16 has been delayed.

The four-way joint venture partnership between Van Oord, Kier Group, Mackley Construction and Royal HaskoningDHV will build a new 1.7km rock revetment and tidal wave wall
increasing the amount of shingle along 700 metres of the beach.

Rock for the new revetment will be imported from Norway and will be delivered by barge.

Team Van Oord will also replace several existing timber groynes with eight new 54m groynes to stabilise the beach and retain beach material

Works are scheduled for completion in December 2015 and will improve the flood protection to more than 1,300 homes and 100 businesses by increasing the standard of protection to the area from 1 in 20 years to 1 in 200 years.

The scheme will also protect vital infrastructure in the area including the main coastal road and sewage treatment works.

The scheme is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Environment Agency has used this funding to employ an artist, Will Nash, to design and produce some sculptures which will be worked into the final scheme.

The sculptures are to be formed out of the remnant timber groynes and will be installed in the area.