HUNDREDS of tonnes of rock could be trucked through the narrow streets of Pill this summer in a bid to shore up the village's crumbling sea defences

HUNDREDS of tonnes of rock could be trucked through the narrow streets of Pill this summer in a bid to shore up the village's crumbling sea defences.The Environment Agency is proposing to use 400 tonnes of stone to rebuild the sea defences on the banks of the River Avon at Marine Parade.The work is being carried out after a 15-metre section of the embankment slid into the river in February.Emergency repairs were carried out and one-ton dumpy bags placed along the shoreline in a bid to stop the defences falling further into the water.Now the Environment Agency is planning a six-week repair project to protect the village from flooding.It is anticipated the work will start in June and use hundreds of tonnes of quarry waste to strengthen the banks.The Environment Agency said final plans had yet to be drawn up as ways of getting the stone to the site and the method of placing it on the bank needed to be discussed.The news that trucks laden with stone will be thundering through the narrow streets of Pill has not been welcomed by all who say they are concerned the lorries could result in traffic chaos and road accidents.Pill's North Somerset councillor Nan Kirsen said: "I can understand the importance of having adequate sea defences and the importance of protecting the people who live in the village."The area around Marine Parade is very narrow and there are a lot of children who live there. I think the Environment Agency needs to seriously look at whether the rock can be brought in via the river rather than the roads before any work starts."Environment Agency spokesman Bridget Norris said: "There is 400 tonnes of stone needed to permanently repair the embankment slip."At the moment no date for the work has been confirmed but we are hopeful it will start in June so it will be completed before the school holidays start."We are still working out the techniques to ensure all the stone can be transported safely to the site as it is a difficult area to access.