Find out more about the works we complete on an annual basis along the Hunstanton coastline
2026-27 Financial Year
So far this financial year we have already completed a range of routine repair works to the Hunstanton coastal defences. This includes: -
- Concrete patch repairs to promenade, seawalls and slipways
- Replacement of joint sealant
- Replacement of mortar joints on the blockwork seawall
- Health and safety works to timber groynes
- Routine maintenance of floodgates
Total cost of routine repair works completed or scheduled to take place, as of October 2026 is, £… You can view the full breakdown of how this has been spent below:
Upcoming Repairs
Each year we complete a visual inspection of the Hunstanton coastal defences. An inspection completed this summer has identified a further 155 repairs which are required to the Hunstanton coastal defences before the winter storm season commences. This includes: -
- Promenade joint sealant replacement
- Wave-return wall joint sealant replacement
- Promenade concrete crack repairs
- Concrete patch repairs to the promenade and slipways
- Blockwork seawall repairs and mortar joint reinstatement
These repairs will be undertaken by Southbay Civil Engineering who have previously undertaken successful repair packages to the Hunstanton Coastal Defences between 2023-2026. This upcoming repair package will cost £156,668 and is being fully funded by the Borough Council.
Repair works will take two months to complete, commencing on Monday 5th October 2026 and completing by Friday 27th November 2026.
To find out more about this repair package, a series of FAQs have been produced which can be viewed here.
March 2026 - Emergency repair works
Between the evening of Wednesday 4 February and morning of Thursday 5 February 2026, high tides and strong winds caused around 20cm to 30cm of beach material to be eroded from the base of the Hunstanton seawall. This resulted in tidal action forming a void under the promenade deck and resulted in partial collapse of an asphalt area of promenade.
Further investigations identified that a large void had developed beneath the promenade. You can view some images of the void in our Hunstanton Void Inspection document.
Emergency works fill the void commenced on Monday 2 March 2026 by Southbay Civil Engineering.
Between Monday 2 March and Tuesday 17 March 2026, preparation works were completed to prepare the promenade and seawall for concrete pours to fill the void. This included: -
- Coring access holes in the promenade deck to confirm the extent of the void and to facilitate access for later concrete pours to fill the void.
- Filling any gaps in the joints of the blockwork and concrete seawall pads to prevent concrete mix from seeping out.
- Installation of steel trench piles at the base of the seawall directly in-front of the void to prevent concrete from seeping out beneath the wall onto the beach and to prevent further undermining.
Between Wednesday 11 March and Monday 16 March 2026, pouring of concrete to fill the void took place. A total of 136.5 cubic metres of concrete was poured into the void. The final approximate size of the void was 26.5 metres in length, 3.5 metres deep and 4 metres wide.
Further information regarding the completion of emergency repair work and next steps can be viewed using the button below:
Hunstanton Coastal Defence FAQs
Updates previously published on these works can be viewed below:
- Hunstanton emergency repairs update - 11 March 2026
- Hunstanton emergency repairs update - 13 March 2026
- Hunstanton Emergency Repairs Update – 23rd March 2026
Promenade Weight Limit Assessment
Following completion of emergency works, the promenade between the Rock Shop Slipway and Oasis remained closed to vehicle and kiosks. This was to allow the significant volume of concrete used to fill the void to cure and reach its designed strength, alongside allowing a structural engineer to complete an assessment of whether any changs to the weight limit of this section of promenade were required.
The weight limit assessment has now been completed and concluded that the promenade slabs between the Oasis and Rock Shop slipway are no longer suitable to accommodate loading from kiosks or vehicles.
This is due to additional investigations completed following the emergency repair works identifying further voiding and variable fill material support beneath the ground bearing promenade slabs, which renders them susceptible to localised collapse under concentrated wheel loads imposed by vehicular traffic and kiosks. The voiding identified also appears more prominent on the landward side of the promenade which is where the vast majority of kiosks would normally be located.
This means that the promenade between the ‘Rock Shop’ slipway and Oasis will not be re-opened to vehicle traffic and kiosks which have previously been located along this section will be unable to return until the capital works project to replace the promenade and seawall is completed.
This section of promenade does however remain safe for continued pedestrian access, and litter bins which have previously been installed to restrict vehicle movement will remain in place.
You can find out further information regarding the weigh limit assessment here.
2025 to 2026 financial year
So far, this financial year we have already completed and commissioned a range of routine repair works to the Hunstanton sea defences. This includes:
- Beach access step handrail replacement
- Routine maintenance and repairs completed to the concrete sea defences
- Health and safety works to the timber groynes
- Extension of metal beach access steps and handrail
- Routine maintenance of floodgates
Total cost of routine and repair works for the 2025-26 financial year, as of March 2026 is £186,116.53. You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
2024 to 2025 financial year
During the 2024-25 financial year we undertook a range of routine repair works to the Hunstanton sea defences. This included:
- 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.
- Extension of beach access steps.
- Health and safety works to timber groynes and concrete groynes.
- Repairs to navigation markers.
- Removal of redundant cliff top fence posts.
The total cost of routine repair works for the 2024-25 financial year was £183,076.68.
You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
2023 to 2024 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:
2022 to 2023 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:
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.