The Vision Group website has just updated its Beach Management Plan pages:
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Splash Wall
The most contentious issue was the sudden inclusion of a heightened splash wall dividing the Esplanade walk from the road. This option appeared out of the blue and had not been discussed with local representatives on the Beach Management Plan Steering Group.
A document containing images of the original proposed wall height overlaid on photographs is available here.
It is proposed that this wall be increased to a height of 1 metre (39 inches) measured from the walk, and the flood gates will obviously be enlarged as well. The road edge is at a lower level than the walk and so the wall would be higher than 1 metre when seen from the town side. It would be of a height just slightly less than the height of the railings on the seaward side of the walk.
A document giving comparisons of now, original proposed height, additional height proposed, and what the new height would look like…… is here.
It is the opinion of the VGS that this would be very intrusive, harm tourism, and be detrimental to the setting of many listed buildings on the Esplanade.
Beach Management Plan | Vision Group for Sidmouth
Here are two of the photo-montages which illustrate the impact of the current proposed heightening of the splash wall, courtesy of Mary Walden-Till of the VGS:
Images for updated height of Splash Wall Sept 2019
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With further comment here:
Sidmouth Beach Management Plan May 2018
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