A £1.2m scheme designed to protect a Grade II*-listed tower in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, from the effects of coastal erosion has received a funding boost from two local authorities.

Tendring District Council (TDC) will provide £520,000 towards the Crag Walk project after securing funding as part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) Coastal Change Pathfinder initiative. Essex County Council (ECC) is also set to contribute £500,000 to complement more than £200,000 raised by the Naze Protection Society (NPS) to help fund work to create a 100m (328ft) viewing platform in front of the Naze cliffs.

According to the NPS, the platform will help to shore up the cliffs and preserve the historic Naze Tower, which is no more than 60m (197ft) from the edge due to erosion occurring at a rate of 2m (6.6ft) a year. A TDC spokesperson revealed that, although a number of issues still remain, it is hoped work can get underway by the end of the year.