Repairs to a damaged quayside could begin this autumn but visitors say action is needed far sooner. 

A section of the Hythe Quay in Maldon was fenced off in November because of subsidence but the quayside was damaged further during the tidal surge in December.

Maldon District Council has been monitoring the ground conditions underneath the quay to assess the scale of the work needed and is preparing a planning application which it hopes will be granted in September.

But visitors and barge owners have expressed their frustration that the repairs have not yet been carried out.

Dennis Avery, who walks his dogs along the quayside once a week, said: “I just find it frustrating that it has been left like it for eight months, it’s such a prominent location and the council should be encouraging people to want to visit Maldon but it’s an eyesore."

See Thursday's MBS for the full story