Beach Management Plan meeting: August press release

The BMP steering group met up earlier in the week:

Sidmouth Beach Management Plan meeting, August agenda

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With lots of issues to consider:

Beach Management Plan: safety first

Beach Management Plan. Revetment, part 1

Beach Management Plan, Revetment part 2

Sidmouth Beach Management Plan: Offshore islands would reduce the need to raise the splash wall

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Here’s today’s press release from the District Council, which continues to push the ‘preferred option’ and which is now pushing for ‘a metre’ height for the splash wall:

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Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme Steering Group meeting update (August 2019)

The preferred option would involve beach replenishment, periodic beach recycling, a new rock groyne on East Beach, raising the height of the splash wall and repairs to the river Sid training wall

Funding gap of around £1.5m urgently needs to be filled if preferred option for coastal flooding/erosion protection of Sidmouth is to be progressedMembers of the Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme Steering Group (comprising community representatives and key stakeholders, including the Environment Agency and Sidmouth ward members) met on 22 August 2019 for an update on the project’s progress, as well as a review of the rigorous data gathering and analysis carried out to identify ways of protecting the town from coastal flooding and slowing down the rate of erosion on East Beach.Following a presentation made by the project’s management team and coastal flooding specialists Royal Haskoning (East Devon’s project consultants), almost unanimous agreement (bar two abstentions) was reached by the Steering Group to implement the preferred option (subject to £1.5m of partnership funding being secured). The decision to accept the advice of the experts on the most appropriate scheme, balancing financial viability, technical performance and environmental impact, was supported by all the Sidmouth ward members present…

Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme Steering Group meeting update (August 2019)

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With the local press pretty much copying and pasting:

Race against time to secure £1.5million – or Sidmouth won’t get coastline protection it wants

Sidmouth has a year to find ‘urgent’ £1.5million to protect the town from flooding and erosion

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It seems, however, that there will be a bit more scrutiny and pressing questions from ITV who have been in town today…

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Finally, of the abstentions at the steering group meeting, the Vision Group’s representative was one of them. And the Chamber of Commerce, which will no doubt be asked to provide some of the £1.5m shortfall, resigned from the steering group some two years ago.

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For more info:

Beach Management Plan

Sidmouth Beach Management Plan meetings