Work to improve flood and coastal defences in Sussex costing hundreds of thousands of pounds is to be brought forward a year to boost the economy, the Environment Agency (EA) said yesterday.

It is hoped the projects, costing a total of £872,000 in the first year and designed to protect 1,590 properties in the county, will be built earlier than planned.

Under a proposal set out by the Government in this month’s prebudget report, schemes will be brought forward from 2010/11 to 2009/10 if final approval is given in February. The number of jobs created by the schemes will be determined then, the EA said.

Projects given the provisional go-ahead to start in 2009 include the removal of shingle spits from Pagham Harbour, near Bognor.

The plan, which would cost £450,000 in the first year, would remove 200 homes from serious risk of flooding or erosion.

A £250,000 project to beef up tidal defences on the East Bank of the River Arun would offer protection to 1,129 households in Littlehampton.

An £80,000 scheme that would repair a privately-owned flood wall in Arundel and protect 49 homes has already been allocated funding.

The other schemes are to build new flood defences close to West Wittering, near Chichester, costing £50,000 and protecting 55 homes, and to repair and upgrade coastal defences in Peacehaven to protect 157 households from erosion at a cost of £42,000.

The projects expected to be brought forward come on top of works already agreed for 2009/10.

A total of £500,000 is being spent repairing flood defences at Selsey, near Chichester, after 300 caravans at West Sands caravan park were ruined by flood waters up to 4ft deep, causing damage costing millions of pounds to property and electricity supplies in March.

EA chief executive Dr Paul Leinster said: “This is good news for a number of communities at risk of flooding, as the Government’s announcement will enable us to start some schemes more quickly.

“Climate change will mean the number of people at high risk from flooding could rise from 1.5 million to 3.5 million by 2080 and we need to do everything we can to protect homes and communities.”

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said £20 million of projects were set to be brought forward to protect 27,000 homes across England.