Plans have been approved for a new £29.4 million tidal flood defence scheme in Poole.
The project will protect more than 500 properties initially and over 2,000 by the end of the century.
The scheme will run along the eastern side of Holes Bay between Poole Bridge and Hunger Hill, the last part of Poole town centre still without tidal flood defences.
It will also help protect the Old Town and nearby areas from the impacts of sea level rise.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is delivering the scheme in partnership with the Environment Agency and others. Planning consent allows the scheme to proceed in a single phase, with construction starting in August this year and lasting about five months.
The council says the defences will reduce the tidal flood risk while enabling new development along Poole’s West Quays. Private landowners are expected to create commercial and residential space alongside new public waterfront routes.
The Environment Agency says the project is being funded with central government money and local contributions. It says the flood risk has grown steadily over the past decade and that this new scheme will provide long-term protection and support regeneration.