PLANS have been drawn up to install rock armouring and increase the heigh of a sea wall along Rhyl promenade.

The £18million flood defence project, in East Rhyl, will go on show to the public on Thursday, October 11.

Denbighshire County Council, supported by the Welsh Government's Coastal Risk Management Programme, has put together the plans. The heigh of the sea wall will be increased between Splash Point and the slipway adjacent to Rhyl Golf Club.

Construction is expected to take 18 months and will start during 2019, subject to planning permission and funding agreement.

Cllr Brian Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s lead member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said: “Due to the low-lying nature of East Rhyl, wave overtopping remains the most serious coastal flood risk.

“Short-term resilience measures were undertaken by Denbighshire County Council following the 2013 storms and this project will provide substantial and durable protection in the long term.

“Making our communities more resilient is a priority for the Council under our Corporate Plan and once completed this work will offer a huge comfort to the community."

Denbighshire County Council commissioned civil engineers Balfour Beatty and flood risk and environmental specialists JBA Consulting to undertake a detailed analysis of the situation to come up with the plans.

In 2013, the highest tideal surge for more than 20 years battered Rhyl, Prestatyn and Kinmel Bay. Rhyl was the worst hit.

Hundreds of people were plucked from their homes; the deluge caused major upheaval and property damage. More than 400 residents were forced to take refuge in the town’s leisure centre.

The rock armouring is being designed to dissipate the energy from storm waves so the impact on the new wall will be substantially reduced and significantly decrease the risk of flooding over the next 100 years. The design life of the scheme also includes allowances for the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.

The secondary protection from the inshore walls and flood gates along with the storm water storage and release facilities at Rhyl Golf Club will remain to provide another layer of protection for this piece of coastline.

Hannah Blythyn, Welsh Government minister for Environment, said: "Flooding and erosion can have a devastating impact on our coast, especially with the increasing threat of climate change. Our £150m coastal risk management programme demonstrates the importance Welsh Government places on reducing the risk to our coastal communities.”

Residents will have the chance to view the plans and comment on them at a drop-in session on October 11 between 10am to 8pm at the Elwy Room, Rhyl Community Fire Station.

A further event is planned for November 8 at the same venue.