PLANS to recharge Swanage beach with sand are on track to begin this autumn but the finished results may not be what people expect.

Swanage town councillor Colin Bright points out that parts of the beach will not look that different from the way they do now.

He said: "I am totally behind the project but I would not wish people to misunderstand the amount of sand that is going to be added to the beach."

Purbeck District Council is currently preparing plans for rebuilding the timber groynes. Sand used to recharge the beach will come from the Swash Channel entrance to Poole Harbour.

Laurence Banyard, senior coastal engineer with the council's consultant Halcrow, said: "The new beach will be filled to the same cross-sectional profile along the beach.

"Because the existing beach levels vary, this means that the amount of fill used in any section will also change.

"Profiles at Ocean Bay slipway and at the shelter on Shore Road, which we have drawn up for the council, show the amount of recharge that we are talking about.

"Beach recharge is a tried and tested method of providing protect-ion to the coast, and reducing the very real risks of erosion to people's homes and businesses.

"Many important coastal towns have benefited, including Bournemouth, Poole, Eastbourne, Southend and Clacton - now it's Swanage's chance."

Mike Goater, district engineer for Purbeck District Council, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to make a substantial improvement to the beach at Swanage.

"By removing the old timber groynes, building new ones and filling the beach with new, clean beach sand we can provide coast protection and a better seafront."

First published: May 11