E&I: you can't just let L'Ancresse wall collapse

More details on the committee's preferred £1m. plans for the beach, kiosk and coastline will be available at two public meetings on Monday.

However, the committee yesterday released information on the other options it considered.

This included whether protecting the wall with rock armour would be more economical than the proposed development of a semi-natural beach.

'Similarly to the managed realignment, the rock armour would be a 50-year protection option. It would be at the same height as the wall and would take a significant width of the beach. This would mean the recreational value of the beach would be reduced with less space and less drying time between tides.

'Importantly, while a rock armour would offer a level of protection it would not prevent the Second World War wall continuing to deteriorate behind it.

'At some point one or more of the concrete panels would need repair or possibly removal, which would mean dismantling the rock armour around the damaged section to determine the works required.'

E&I said it would be a costly exercise, and would run the risk of leaving the remaining structure vulnerable, while repairs were undertaken and possibly during the winter.

A 2017 estimated cost of the rock armour was £1.8m.

'The rock armour also carries an increasing risk of substantial additional and unpredictable costs as years went on.'

This option was previously considered in 2012 and discounted by the then-Environment board.