COUNCILLORS could give the go-ahead for a request for millions of pounds to protect the Poole and Bournemouth coast next week.

BCP Council’s cabinet will be asked to give its approval for an outline business case to be submitted to the Environment Agency when it meets on Wednesday.

The £36 million project would cover the next ten years’ worth of work along the seafront and include the upgrade of Hengistbury Head Long Groyne.

The first phase of work, focusing on Bournemouth Beach to the west of Boscombe Pier, began in 2015 and finished in May this year.

Originally planned to be split into two phases, the next stage of the project will cover the coast from Sandbanks to Hengistbury Head.

The two phases were combined following advice from the Environment Agency which said it would “maximise cost efficiencies”.

In June the council submitted an environmental assessment for the next stage, warning that without the planned work, more than 6,000 buildings could be at risk.

A report has now been put to its cabinet ahead of its meeting on Wednesday asking for permission for a business case to be submitted.

“Without the continuation of coast protection works, over the next 100 years significant numbers of residential and commercial properties would be lost to erosion along with highways and supporting infrastructure,” it says.

“The potential adverse impact to the tourism economy and amenity benefit would be of a scale of local, regional and national importance.”

According to the report, the next phase will include “at least two beach replenishments” and the repair and upgrade of Hengistbury Head Long Groyne and will run through until 2020/21.

It says this work would protect 3,358 homes and cost about £36 million, with only about a tenth being required of the council.

Prevention of coastal erosion has been forecast to provide £265 million economic boost to the area over the next 30 years.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve the submission of the outline business case when they meet on Wednesday.