Havant Borough Council started the restoration yesterday with coastal partners, a collaboration of four councils moving material from areas of build-up to areas of erosion.
The council said this will help restore the beach and better protect it against flooding. Once the works are complete it will have protection against a ‘one in 200-year year’ storm.
A spokesman for the coastal partners said: ‘Several storm events have occurred since the last work was undertaken in September 2021, which has narrowed the beach and reduced its height.
‘By undertaking works in March we aim to build the beach back to its design profile and be complete prior to the Easter holidays.
‘The works will be fully funded by the Environment Agency and will be carried out by our contractor, Les Searle Group.
‘You should expect to see heavy machinery – dumper trucks, excavators and bulldozers – on-site for the duration of the works.
‘The work will take place along the southern frontage of Hayling Island, with material extracted from the beach between the coastguard hut and inn on the beach, and deposited along the residential frontage at Eastoke.
‘It is likely that extraction will start at Inn on the Beach and work east towards the coastguard hut.’