“It will help stop my house falling into the sea.” [local resident]
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This week, the BBC’s Spotlight news programme looked at the Sidmouth Beach Management Plan – with a follow-up piece on-line covering much the same.
It starts with an interview with cliff-top resident Paul Griew, where he says ‘It will help stop my house falling into the sea’. That in itself is very reassuring – furthermore so, as the piece reiterates what has already been decided for the Sidmouth BMP:
A £20m project is now being developed to protect properties from the risks of sea flooding and cliff erosion.
“The iconic seafront of Sidmouth is world-renowned. We have to protect it,” said East Devon District Counci member Geoff Jung. Mr Jung added the town was also “really vulnerable” to flooding, climate change and sea level rises. Mr Jung said all the planned changes would be done in a sympathetic manner, keeping the town’s historic architectural and natural beauty in mind.
The project is currently being designed and could include one or more new offshore breakwaters and a new rock groyne at East Beach. The main and East beaches would be “recharged” or increased in level, using similar material dredged from offshore, project leaders said.The plans should protect more than 110 homes and about 70 businesses, they added.
The government has already allocated £16m towards the Sidmouth and East Beach coastal defence scheme. East Devon District Council (EDDC) said it would provide a further £2.25m, with additional contributions from Devon County Council and other local bodies.
Project leaders said design consultants were developing plans, which would then go out to public consultation. If approved, work could start in about two years’ time.
It is understood that an update is on the horizon – with a press release from the District Council expected. And it is also hoped that there will a Sidmouth BMP Advisory Group meeting soon – the last one having been held half a year ago in March.
To reiterate:
- the funding model of £20m remains;
- the information on the BMP has in fact already been provided – both on the official website [Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan and Scheme – East Devon] and the VGS web pages [From the BMP Advisory Group – Vision Group for Sidmouth];
- Cllr Jung has repeated how the historic nature of the seafront has always been a key factor in the design of the BMP;
- it is understood that the materials will be dredged from a licenced site;
- and the timings for the project are pretty much as decided, although these will be open to review.
Finally, here’s what the cliffs at Pennington Point looked like ten years ago, published with permission:
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