HOPES are high that work to repair breaches in the crumbling wall at Southwold's historic harbour could get under way before the end of next year.Sections of the harbour's north dock wall, which protects a caravan park, businesses and roads leading into Southwold from flooding, have collapsed into the sea in recent months.

HOPES are high that work to repair breaches in the crumbling wall at Southwold's historic harbour could get under way before the end of next year.

Sections of the harbour's north dock wall, which protects a caravan park, businesses and roads leading into Southwold from flooding, have collapsed into the sea in recent months.

Now local harbour users and officers from Waveney District Council are working together to draw up a timetable for the work, which could cost up to �3.4m.

Speaking at a meeting of Southwold Town Council on Tuesday (April 28) night, district councillor Sue Allen said: 'There is a schedule from now right the way through to starting the work on the wall, hopefully in October 2010. Things are definitely moving forward and everyone is keen to keep it moving forward.'

District councillor Simon Tobin said that the repair project is now at the forefront of the council's priorities for the town. He said: 'We're attempting to persuade the council to go for the �3.4m repair option rather than any cheaper option.'

He added: 'There's a complete system in place now for the wall, at long last.'

In March this year, a team of divers took to the water to examine the extent of damage to the concrete wall after a 6ft by 2ft piece fell into the sea. The breach worsened later in the month when two more pieces of wall fell, increasing fears that urgent action needs to be taken to prevent the car park behind the wall from slumping towards the water.

Town mayor Teresa Baggott said: 'It's something which the district council knows they have got to keep up with and which they have got to get done.'

However a spokesman for Waveney District Council said that no definite start date has yet been given for the repairs. She said: 'We're looking at possible time tables for the work and we expect to have a progress update in July which will give more details about the work.'