Further repairs to a seawall, along a popular Isle of Wight seafront, get underway next month (June).

The Isle of Wight Council closed part of the Esplanade last November, after a large hole and cracks appeared in the seawall just beyond the skatepark.

Since then, sections of the promenade have collapsed into the sea.

A large excavator is scheduled to arrive in Ventnor early tomorrow morning (Wednesday), ahead of work on the Eastern Cliffs promenade.

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The machinery will be escorted down Shore Hill by banksman before 8.30am. No road closures will be needed. 

Its job will be to install around 165, 12-metre long 'king piles' in front of the existing sea defences which have partially failed.

This will then be backfilled and capped with concrete to encapsulate the badly corroded sheet piles.

The impact of the closure has affected a popular cafe along the walkway.

Seapot, enjoyed by those walking between Ventnor and Bonchurch, could face closure due to a sharp downturn in footfall, as the County Press reported.

The king piles and backfill material will start to arrive on site later next week. 

Works will begin at the western end of the seawall failure (by the skatepark). Each section will be completed individually before moving further east.

Isle of Wight County Press: Ventnor walkway.Ventnor walkway. (Image: Isle of Wight Council)

Once the seawall has been protected, attention will turn to stabilising and repairing the existing apron, revetment and promenade to make it safe for people to use. 

The extent of these repairs will be fully assessed once the king pile work is underway. The result of the assessment will inform an anticipated completion date for the works.

The first phase of repairs involved using specially engineered rock sacks to plug the hole in the seawall to help stabilise the wider esplanade area.

The latest work is designed to help protect the seawall and maintain vital access along the promenade until the main Ventnor Coastal Protection Scheme is delivered by the Environment Agency.

The council is asking Islanders to respect the construction site fencing, and do not attempt to enter this dangerous area.