Find out more about the works we complete on an annual basis along the Hunstanton coastline
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:
- Partial handrail replacement
- Routine maintenance and repairs to the concrete sea defences
- Health and safety works to the timber groynes
Total cost of routine and repair works for the 2025-26 financial year, as of May 2025, is £81,684.58. You can view the full breakdown of how this was spent, alongside photograph examples of works undertaken below:
Each year we undertake a visual inspection of all coastal defences in Hunstanton. This year’s inspection identified a total of 63 repairs required to different aspects of the concrete defences alongside health and safety works to the timber groynes. The below table summarises the repair works identified:
- 11 concrete patch repairs to the seawall
- 11 concrete patch repairs to the promenade
- 1 concrete patch repair to the wave-wall
- 1 asphalt repair to the promenade
- 11 concrete repairs to beach access steps
- 2 concrete patch repairs to slipways
- Replacement of sealant for 4 joints on the promenade and wave-wall
- Replacement of mortar joints in 22 locations along the blockwork seawall
- Cutting the tops of stakes with pointed ends flat on timber groynes
- Securing loose groyne elements with additional bolts and fixings on timber groynes
These repairs will be undertaken by Southbay Civil Engineering Ltd who have previously undertaken successful repair packages to the Hunstanton sea defences in 2023 and 2024. This repair package will cost £80,016.58 and will be fully funded by the Borough Council.
Repair works will take three and a half weeks to complete and are due to commence on Monday 2 June 2025 and be completed by Wednesday 25 June 2025. Works will take place Monday to Friday only.
To find out more about this repair package, please view our Hunstanton repairs 2025 FAQs.
Ongoing Works - Geotechnical Investigations
Last Autumn, we commenced undertaking a series of geotechnical investigations to the Hunstanton sea defences.
Geotechnical investigations inspect the condition of parts of a structure which are located below the ground surface and therefore cannot be visually inspected. Outcomes of these investigations will be used to assess the current structural condition of the Hunstanton sea defences to inform future work requirements to maintain the standard of protection the defences provide.
As part of this, between October and November we undertook three types of on-site investigations:
Trial Pits
Trial pits involve excavating ground material, such as sand, to inspect the condition of parts of a structure which are normally buried beneath the surface.
25 trial pits were excavated along the base of the Hunstanton seawall via excavator, from the Sea Life Centre to where the defences meet the Hunstanton Cliffs. This allowed an coastal engineer to inspect the condition of the seawall foundations which are normally buried beneath beach material. Once this inspection took place, trial pits were backfilled.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
GPR involves sending non-destructive radio waves down into a structure which then ‘bounce back’ when they encounter different material types, such as concrete and metals. This process creates a digital image which can help to determine the internal condition of a structure.
All 1.5km of the Hunstanton promenade, from the power boat ramp to where the defences end at the Hunstanton Cliffs, were surveyed using GPR.
Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)
FWD involves simulating loads which are applied to the surface of a structure, such as vehicle movements, to determine its structural condition and weight bearing capacity.
All 1.5km of the Hunstanton promenade, from the power boat ramp to where the defences end at the Hunstanton Cliffs, were surveyed using FWD.
Outcomes
Following completion of on-site investigations, work to analyse results and produce a report of outcomes by an external consultation is ongoing.
We hope to have a final report of outcomes by Summer 2025.
To find out more about the geotechnical investigations, you can view our frequently asked questions document.
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.