Parts of three Kent beaches will be closed over the next month as a flood defence scheme costing almost half a million pounds gets underway.

Repairs to sea defences in Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown started on Wednesday and are set to last four weeks.

The area between Oldstairs Bay by the Zetland Arms in Kingsdown and north Deal around Sandown Castle - a stretch of almost four miles - will be worked on.

Contractors are currently focusing on the Deal area, and part of the beach around the pier is out of bounds as heavy plant machinery moves the shingle.

Dover District Council (DDC) says further works between north of Sandown Castle and timber groynes in the Godwyn/Horsa Road area are set to take eight to 10 days, followed by upgrades in Walmer and Kingsdown for a further two weeks.

The Environment Agency is funding the scheme through a £449,000 grant, which was announced at April’s DDC cabinet meeting.

The money is available from the Flood and Coastal Risk Management Capital Grant, which runs between now and 2025/26.

At the meeting, an officer’s report to members highlighted the benefits of undertaking the work.

It stated: “The beach monitoring team have evidenced areas that can be recycled from while maintaining a consistent level of flood protection.

“This will benefit more than 3,000 residential properties and 200 non-residential properties within the Deal floodplain.”

Commenting on the works, Cllr Susan Beer (Lab), ward councillor for North Deal, said: “While we don’t like the noise from the bulldozers and diggers, we are grateful.”

The works are set to be part of a wider two-year beach management plan proposed by the East Kent Engineering Partnership to address the recent beach erosion along the Walmer and Deal frontages.

It will involve reshaping weakened beaches by recycling shingle to replenish areas that have “fallen below the expected level of protection.”

The aim is to keep primary sea defences, sea walls and beach groynes strong.

The DDC report adds: “The proposed works look to recycle from existing frontages as opposed to dredging material from offshore sources.

“Beach recycling locally is considered as having the least effect on the environment.”

The East Kent Engineering Partnership is a consortium of five Kent coastal district councils, including Dover, dealing with flooding and coastal erosion.

In a statement on Wednesday, DDC said it “apologies for any inconveience” while the beaches are closed.

“Beach management works have now started,” it said.

“A programme of works is set to take place in the Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown areas over the next four weeks.

“We remind people to respect the working sites and stay clear of works for public safety.

“Large sections of the beaches remain open while these essential works take place.”