Drilling to boost coastal safety
Boreholes are to be drilled up to 40m (131ft) deep at a North Yorkshire resort as part of coastal protection scheme.
Engineers from Scarborough Borough Council will carry out the work at South Cliff Gardens and on the promenade in front of the spa.
The work is designed to establish the depth of the bedrock, ground conditions and water levels.
The drilling at the front of the spa will be limited to 20m.
A spokesman for the council said additional monitoring equipment would be installed in the new boreholes to measure groundwater levels and movements within the cliff.
These would be monitored for six months to provide data for the design of the coast protection scheme.
Samples taken from the boreholes will include soil samples and rock cores.
These will be tested to provide information on the composition and strength of the materials in the ground.
Councillor Mike Cockerill, who is responsible for harbours, the coast and flood protection, said: "Although there is some existing information available as a result of previous works and ongoing monitoring, more information is needed.
"Particularly about ground conditions including geology, groundwater and depths of ground movement to help determine the design of the structures that will make up the final coast protection scheme."