Beach Management Plan: the costs of over-engineering

The BMP steering group met up last month:

Beach Management Plan meeting: August press release

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The press coverage has focussed on the ‘need’ for another £1.5m – expected to come from ‘the community’:

Councillor Hughes calls for unity on Beach Management Plan

‘Last chance saloon’ to find cash for Sidmouth beach management plan

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The Herald shows a revealing photo of the tides at work at Pennington Point – which raises the question of why an over-engineered ‘supergroyne’ is the best way to protect the cliffs:

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This photograph of Pennington Point and East Cliff was taken for the BMP by a drone at lower altitude. If you look carefully you can see circular waves with their centre at the end of the river training wall. This is wave diffraction and it can cause erosion.

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Sidmouth Beach Management Plan: ‘Russian roulette’ if £1.5million is not secured

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Radio Exe reproduces the ‘preferred option’ as being currently pushed by the District Council – ‘preferred’ simply because it was considered cheaper, when the sums were put together some two years ago:

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Time running out for beach plan money

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These sums have been questioned time and time again:

Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: still a funding gap of £3.3million

Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: ‘technically favoured’ option or ‘preferred’ option – and ‘preferred’ by whom?

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See the VGS news pages:

Beach Management Plan: safety first

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

Beach Management Plan. Revetment, part 1

Beach Management Plan, Revetment part 2

Sidmouth Beach Management Plan meetings

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Plus the reference page:

Beach Management Plan