Sea defences are set to be improved at various locations after fears of “catastrophic failure”, flooding and houses falling into the water.

Work set to cost £1.2 million in total is planned to take place at Viking Bay and the harbour in Broadstairs and Dumpton Gap – between Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

A report, which will be put before Thanet district councillors at meetings this week, warns there could be “significant health and safety risks” to the public if nothing is done.

At Broadstairs Harbour, the pier head and sea wall are in “poor condition”.

The report states: “In a do-nothing scenario, the pier head could be eroded to the extent that it is a risk of catastrophic failure during a significant storm event within the next 10 years.”

If nothing is done to the sea wall, it is thought it will begin to lose some of the concrete blocks it is made of, leading to “cliff erosion, threatening cliff-top property”.

The project will “reduce the risk of flooding, coastal erosion and the loss of public and residential assets located in Viking Bay”.

Works will include the stabilisation of the existing sea defences and new flood walls and gates in front of the Tartar Frigate pub to reduce flood risk to properties at the bottom of Harbour Street.

The repairs and installation at the harbour are set to cost £880,000, which is funded by a grant from the Environment Agency.

Improvements to the seawall which stretches from Viking Bay to Dumpton Gap will be to the tune of £406,000 and is also grant-funded.

The seawall there was constructed almost 60 years ago and is in need of “major maintenance” work.

It is hoped this will prevent cliffs crumbling and homes falling into the sea.

The report states: “The key objective of the project is to reduce the risk of coastal erosion and the loss of public and residential assets located on the chalk cliffs immediately inland of the coastal defences.”

It goes on to say the wall is showing signs of damage which will lead to its failure.

If it does fail, it would “present a significant health and safety risk and would require a permanent exclusion zone around the area”.

Furthermore, there would likely be environmental damage, significant social and amenity impacts and erosion of cliff-top properties.

The works will involve the replacement of some of the existing coping blocks.

Slabs and concrete stepped sea wall units are to be refurbished and if necessary replaced.

A community was left in shock in 2020 on the Isle of Sheppey when the cliff collapsed leading to the loss of a home and damaging others.

The land gave way under Emma Tullett’s house leaving the property teetering on the edge of the clifftop.