At least £125,000 may be spent to strengthen sea defences at a beauty spot.

Councillors are being asked to use the money from an Environment Agency (EA) grant for the refurbishment at St Margaret's Bay, near Dover.

Dover District Council's cabinet will vote on this at its meeting on Monday morning.

The work is for all 12 timber groynes on the 550-metre stretch of beach – part of Kent's Heritage Coast, which yesterday was revealed as among the best places to visit in the world in 2022 by travel guide Lonely Planet.

A survey carried out in July found the condition of the groynes ranged from very good to very poor.

An officers' report to councillors said: "It is self-evident that there are substantial repairs and safety works to be carried out and should be made a priority.

"Consequently, it is recommended to bring these works forward as far as reasonably practical – ideally within this year.

"It is recommended to invest all the EA grant funding in repairing all the beach groynes as per the detailed survey conducted... thus further enhancing the design life of timber and concrete structures."

The officers added that the groynes' condition would worsen over the winter leading to full replacements being needed in three to five years.

The refurbishment would help prolong the life of the groynes for another 10 to 15 years.

The officers also said that some reinforcement of the seawall was required and it would be repaired at the same time.

There is also a £25,000 contingency if it is found more work is needed.

The 12 groynes, supported by steel rail piles, were put in place in 1982 and reinforced in 1991, bolstered with a concrete infill.

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