The Environment Agency carried out its annual inspection of the sea defences at Sheerness in late February. The rock groyne and rock face of the sea wall were found to be in good repair. The defences are designed to provide those living and working in the area with a 1 in 200 year standard of protection, a 0.5 per cent. chance of flooding in a year. This is the standard level of protection to which new sea defences are constructed.