…but urgent action is needed now to tackle erosion at Pennington Point.
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Earlier this year a prototype transparent sea wall was erected as part of the Beach Management Plan:
Beach Management Plan: splash barrier and sea level rises
But in order to get the Plan started, more funds had to be found:
Beach Management Plan: funding latest: bridging the gap: reports
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The prototype sea wall seems to be holding, despite probably vandalism:
Beach Management Plan: splash barrier damaged
And today we hear that the final bit of cash has been secured:
Sidmouth finally has the £8.7million needed to protect its crumbling cliffs | sidmouthherald.co.uk
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However…
The immediate issue of the crumbling cliffs will not be addressed:
And today, Sidmouth’s county councillor expresses his concern:
The funding for Sidmouth’s coastal defences is ‘excellent news’, according to a local councillor, but urgent action is needed now to tackle erosion at Pennington Point.
Stuart Hughes is deeply concerned about the series of rock falls there, including one last night, and has repeatedly called for East Devon District Council to take emergency steps to shore up the crumbling cliffs.
The expected £1million government grant bridges the funding gap for the beach management plan, but the project still needs to go through lengthy consultation, design and planning processes before any work can begin.
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Cllr Hughes has been pushing for immediate action since March:
Beach Management Plan: emergency survey
Beach Management Plan: emergency revetment
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The main question is whether the ‘preferred option’ is just a waste of money:
Beach Management Plan: the costs of over-engineering
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As there are other options which might actually be preferred by Sidmouth:
Sidmouth Beach Management Plan: Offshore islands would reduce the need to raise the splash wall