Changes that will have a positive benefit and cost savings to the new £12m Exmouth tidal defence scheme to protect the town from flooding have been approved.

East Devon's planning committee on Wednesday morning unanimously backed a variation to the Environment Agency's previously consented proposal for the town.

Chris Rose, the council's development manager, said that the changes were all fairly minor and straightforward, would have a positive benefit, and while it would provide cost savings over the already approved scheme, these would not be to the detriment of the scheme which would maintain the resilience from flooding.

Once complete, Exmouth will have much better protection ahead of the winter storms and the £12m scheme will reduce the flood risk from the current 1-in-25-year risk (4 per cent chance of flooding in any year) to 1-in-200-year (0.5 per cent chance).

Among the changes to the previously consented scheme are reducing in length the pre-cast wall around the Estuaryside that extended onto the Imperial Recreational Ground by 40 metres in length and be replaced by an earth bund, a straightening of the wall at the Estuaryside, a wall in place of an embankment at the boatyard in Camperdown, and realignments to floodgate on the seafront with the outhouse in the Grove Public House Garden to be bricked up instead of installing a floodgate.

Backing the plans, Cllr Olly Davey said that he was fully supportive of the flood protection measures that are being carried out, with Cllr Bruce de Saram adding the integrity of the scheme was being upheld and protection from flooding maintained.

Cllr Steve Gazzard said: "This is good news for Exmouth and the people who live around the area who will have their homes protected."

Once complete in 2021, the scheme will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to over 1,400 residential and 400 commercial properties. Construction work started in June 2019, and has now paused for its summer break.

So far, on the estuary side a wall approximately 660m long has been built from the boatyard to the Imperial Recreation Ground. Contractors worked during low tides to repair the revetment from the nature reserve to the Estuary View car park.

A large area of the nature reserve was cleared of vegetation to create a continuous flood defence embankment which will be seeded this autumn.

At Camperdown Creek new gabions, large metal baskets filled with stone, have been replaced with new sheet piled defences clad with recycled hardwood timber were installed by the Sea Cadets and the foundations have been built for the three flood gates.

The Esplanade area from The Grove Pub, including Morton Crescent and the Imperial Hotel has had new defences built, with the work including a combination of flood walls, new drainage, wall strengthening, rock armour installation and landscaping.