Beach Management Plan: new FOI requests on coastal and cliff erosion in Sidmouth

There are so many questions still to be answered around the BMP - past, present and future:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: and (again) failing to get answers to technical questions from the District Council

One question in particular looks at whether the artificial rock islands and groyes established in 1996 have contributed to beach and cliff erosion:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: 'accelerated erosion' had occurred since 1996 - after the installation of rock groynes along the seafront in 1995

There have been two Freedom of Information requests on the issue of late: 

Statement to the press about coastal erosion in Sidmouth

Date submitted: 5 March 2018

Summary of request

I would be grateful if you could tell me how this statement originated and who was responsible for its issuing. 

In particular, I would be grateful for copies of all e-mails, telephone notes, and internal documents that were part of the process that led to the statement being issued. I will be extremely surprised if the spokeswoman made the statement of her own initiative, so it must have come from somewhere, and there is presumably an e-mail trail.

Freedom of Information published requests - East Devon


Report on cliff erosion of Sidmouth's eastern cliffs

11 March 2018

1) The Development Management Committee considered planning application 11/0904/FUL in 2011. The applicants had decided to withdraw their application however.
scanned-dmc-agenda-151111.pdf
eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1166901/combined-dmc-agenda-and-reports-061211.pdf 

2) A press article from 2011 referred to this meeting and decision:
Sidmouth campaigners welcome cliff erosion solution vow | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

3) The Cabinet addressed these issues in 2012, considering Flooding risk to Sidmouth through the effects of Coastal erosion at Pennington Point/Salcombe Hill Cliff:
cabinet-mins-010212.pdf

4) A press article from 2012 referred to a specific report by Head of Economy:
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/Action-plan-tackle-problem-clifferosion/story-15108472-detail/story.html

With reference to the above, I would like you to provide me with the following:

> Any statements in your own records which can verify and clarify the statements recorded by the press, referring to the Development Management Committee's consideration of planning application 11/0904/FUL in 2011:

"Development management committee members conceded that offshore rock islands have accelerated erosion of Sidmouth’s eastern cliffs. “I have massive sympathy for the plight of residents in Cliff Road, which appears to have been caused by man-made intervention,” said Councillor Phil Twiss. “I feel guilty there’s a significant risk we generated the problem,” added Cllr Ben Ingham."

> The full unredacted report by head of economy Kate Little confirming that "accelerated erosion" had occurred since 1996 – after the installation of rock groynes along the seafront in 1995.

Report on cliff erosion of Sidmouth's eastern cliffs - a Freedom of Information request to East Devon District Council - WhatDoTheyKnow
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