A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on the £5m Next Wave scheme in Bexhill, which is set to transform the town's seafront.

Preparatory work is now underway ahead of construction work, which is scheduled to commence by the end of the month and will initially focus on the West Parade promenade. Funded by Rother District Council (RDC) and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the scheme aims to improve facilities for residents and visitors.

The Grade II-listed Colonnade will be refurbished as part of the Next Wave work, as well as the creation of a community park facility and a new building for Bexhill Rowing Club. RDC's Christopher Starnes, New Wave project sponsor, said: "As one of the great planned seaside resorts, the seafront of Bexhill on Sea has always been the town's greatest cultural asset and fundamental to why people have visited, lived and invested in the town over the last hundred years."

Contractors are scheduled to move on to the Colonnade and the Metropole Lawn later this year.