Sea defences protecting a new housing development will be maintained by a private company.

Anti-flood measures created in front of Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, include the reinforcement of an unstable section of the frontage and topping up the shingle beach.

Maintenance of the new defences will now be included as part of the Pevensey Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract.

The 25-year contract between the Environment Agency and Pevensey Coastal Defence Limited (PCDL) was the first flood defence PPP contract in the UK when it was signed in May 2000.

PCDL has since improved and maintained 8km of defences to the north-east of the harbour.

In 2001 Carillion, formerly Tarmac Construction, carried out work to raise the standard of defences in front of the housing development.

With the completion of the work, the agency has agreed PCDL should look after the area, by transferring shingle to the north-east side every winter.