Repair work has begun on a road section where a succession of landslips blocked a town centre route in both directions.

Machinery has been spotted as work gets underway at the Road of Remembrance in Folkestone, which was hit by landslides earlier this year.

The road has been closed since January after tonnes of debris blocked the route connecting the town centre and seafront.

Kent County Council (KCC) said the Rod of Remembrance would be closed until further notice to protect the safety of the public.

Meanwhile, businesses have told KentOnline that the subsidence negatively impacted their businesses.

Folkestone resident Stephen West took new pictures on Tuesday, showing two diggers and work vans on the road.

The 65-year-old was grateful that work was finally underway but thought it would be a long time before the road was reopened.

He told KentOnline: “It’s good to know they’re starting to clear the road at last, but I still think it could be a year before the road re-opens. We’ll have to wait and see.

“It’s a start and a step in the right direction, but they’re probably going to have to construct something to hold the bank back and mesh over it, but I don’t know whether that will do the job.

“They’ve got to find some way to prevent a landslide from happening again. I don’t know what the future is, but it could well be the case that they impose a height and weight restriction on the road and only let local traffic use it. Who knows?”

The landslides at the Road of Remembrance have not been the only ones to take place in Folkestone, with eight taking place this year from Warren to Sandgate.

It’s also feared that sections of another coastal beauty spot could be closed off as safety concerns continue to mount, while Dartford residents are still feeling the cost of a slip on a major road.

Areas across Folkestone are undergoing a LIDAR—light detection and ranging—survey to highlight any areas of further concern and inform any temporary closures while a programme of work is undertaken to reduce the risk of future landslides.

KCC has previously stated the Road of Remembrance is expected to remain closed for several months.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “KCC is currently working with embankment stabilisation specialists to assess the highway damage to the Road of Remembrance, Folkestone.

“This work will inform the clearance process and examine ways to reduce the risk of future landslips.

“The road remains closed to protect the safety of the public until further notice.”