APPROVAL is set to be given to restore Whitby's two landmark piers to save the ancient port from the ravages of the North Sea.

The East and West Piers have protected the town since the early 18th-century but are urgent need of repair, Scarborough Council's planning and development committee will be told on Thursday.

Senior planning officer David Walker said: "The piers are in a poor structural condition and show a significant number of defects. They are at risk of breaching or collapse."

The committee is being recommended to grant listed building consent for the work.

He adds in a report: "The piers are vital as coastal defences and as an integral part of safeguarding the harbour."

As part of the scheme, public access prevention measures are to be provided but an original plan to have solid metal gates has been abandoned in favour of chains and posts because of the environmental impact.

Mr Walker said the 400-metre piers were in a "decrepit" state and the multi-million pound coastal defence and pier restoration scheme was needed to protect Whitby.