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Saturday 24 May 2014

Beach Management Plan... for Lyme Regis

An observation from the SIN blog recently:
How they do it in Dorset – sea defences | Sidmouth Independent News

And a very impressive piece of engineering as reported by ITV West Country earlier this month:
 

Scheme to protect hundreds of homes in Lyme Regis

The giant engineering project is believed to the be largest sea-defence project in England Photo: ITV News
Work to protect hundreds of homes in Lyme Regis from sliding into the sea is nearing completion. The 20 million pound project to stabilise cliffs on the eastern side of the town started last summer.
The land above is also being pinned in place to stop it slipping down towards the sea.
For centuries, gravity has been pushing it down, trying to fill gaps at the bottom caused by erosion. Each winter brings an increased risk to the 500 or so homes that are built on the eastern side of Lyme Regis.
The town has got used to diggers and machinery on the sea front Credit: ITV News
This is the fourth phase of a project that began in the mid 1990s. Phase 2 beefed up the beach and pinned land in the centre of town in place in Langmoor and Lister Gardens. Phase 3 planned for the western side of town, has never started. Phase 2 was completed in 2007.
The engineering team is pleased that it seems to be working as planned.
"The sea wall is built in front of an old sea wall that was built during the 1950s and 60s and was so dilapidated it was in danger of failing. If the sea wall fails, the main road in to town, the Charmouth Road is about 25 metres at the top of the slope and that land would be lost so we would lose housing and the main road into the town."
– NICK BROWNING, HEAD OF ENGINEERING, WEST DORSET DISTRICT COUNCIL
Much of the work will be finished by the summer holidays and the tidying up will follow by the end of the year.
Duncan Sleightholme reports:-

Scheme to protect hundreds of homes in Lyme Regis | West Country (W) - ITV News

And from the Western Daily Press:
£20m sea wall scheme starts at Lyme Regis | Western Morning News
Progress on £20m Dorset coast scheme | Western Daily Press

And if we compare what's going on at Sidmouth:


Finding funding for Pennington Point erosion is “out of the question”

9 September 2013

Story HERE. EDDC attempts to make the case that, because there are more properties at risk in Lyme Regis, the town has a greater chance of attracting flood defence funding, which is quite probably true. However, an EDDC spokesperson then goes on to say:

“EDDC has been clear all along that it is working with these agencies and others, including asset owners, and is carefully monitoring the situation at Sidmouth to ensure there is early warning of any flood risk to Eastern Town, at which time emergency works might be justified.

“Convincing the Government that Sidmouth is in dire need of funding for a coastal protection scheme such as that being pursued at Lyme Regis is out of the question in current circumstances.”

One has to wonder if, should the proposed site of the new EDDC HQ in Honiton or Cranbrook be under threat of flooding, EDDC would be taking the same stand and whether it would be standing by saying that solving the problem would be “out of the question”.


Finding funding for Pennington Point erosion is “out of the question” | Sidmouth Independent News

See also:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Beach Management Plan Steering Group to collect more data - and to meet in September
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Beach Management Plan Steering Group - questions for the consultation event: Thurs 6th March
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Beach Management Plan Steering Group - background
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