NATURAL England experts have objected to a bid by residents to slow the decline of Sidmouth’s crumbling coastline – because the scheme will halt rapid erosion.

Cliff Road homeowners hope to reach an agreement with the body over their proposals for a £900,000 rock revetment along the base of cliffs near Pennington Point.

A group of residents, turned activists, spent £10,000 on a planning application they think will prevent catastrophic flooding of the town, protect Alma Bridge and the coastal footpath, and save their properties from toppling into the sea.

But Natural England says the proposed rock revetment is in “direct conflict” with a shoreline management plan for the area.

Experts say in a report: “This stretch is one of the most productive sources of rare Triassic fossil vertebrates and new finds are regularly made in the cliff falls.

“The revetment will prevent erosion, halting natural processes which maintain fresh sections and provide a renewed supply of fallen fossil bearing rocks for study.

“The construction, in our view, will permanently change the landscape character of this area from one of naturalness and wilderness to one where a man-made structure dominates.”

They also claim the retaining wall will have “a permanent major adverse visual impact”.

Residents were due meet with Natural England representatives and a district council officer this week to discuss objections, but talks were delayed until September.

A decision by East Devon District Council (EDDC) on the fate of the 240metre granite wall – which has garnered widespread public support – is expected in October or November.

Cliff Road campaigner Paul Griew said: “We’ll discuss possible options, find out what the objections and key issues are, and see if we can find some common ground.

“They want natural erosion to continue at 10cm a year, and so do we.

“Since the rock islands were built the rate has been 20 to 30 times greater.

“Our plans are the only option we’ve yet heard that will actually achieve our objectives. We’re only too pleased to listen to other ideas.

“If we can’t find an agreement we’ll press ahead with the planning application. At least we’ll know we tried to reach and agreement.”

National Trust representatives also told the district council in an objection: “Developments might impede natural processes or obscure exposed geology.”

Story by Stefan Gordon in the Sidmouth Herald

MORE than 125 people flocked to a Jurassic Coast Pathfinder exhibition that sparked debate on Sidmouth’s crumbling coast.

Recharging beach at Pennington Point or extending town-centre sea defences to the east were suggested by those who attended the event at Kennaway House last Thursday, writes Charlie Lister.

Residents and visitors got the chance to learn more about coastal erosion and get involved in making decisions about managing the coastline.

Scores browsed information on display, with 80 packing a pair of presentations held by the Pathfinder team.

Project manager Rupert Lloyd said the event was well-received.

He added: “It was evident from the discussions that people in Sidmouth are keen to get involved in sustainable ways to adapt to change.

“There was a good mix of residents and visitors who contributed to a lively discussion about the future of Pennington Point.”

The exhibition included specially commissioned, digitally-generated images of how radically Sidmouth’s coast could change in 20, 50 and 100 years time.

But the project team emphasised that these dramatic projections only show how Pennington Point might change under a policy of ‘no active intervention’ and encouraged a discussion of the alternative options.

The current policy is one of ‘managed realignment’.

Mr Lloyd added: “Proposed ideas included recharging the beach at Pennington Point, or extending the sea defences which protect the town centre to the east end of the beach.”

“A lot of people are aware that coastal change will always happen, that’s the reason that Sidmouth, as part of the Jurassic Coast, is a World Heritage Site.”

“We cannot afford to defend everywhere forever against the advancing sea, but we can widen the range of options open to communities to adapt to change.”

The Jurassic Coast Pathfinder project was launched in December 2009 as one of 15 projects nationwide designed to better engage communities in the process of planning to adapt to coastal erosion.

A priority aim of the project is to “encourage coastal communities to actively and meaningfully participate in the decision making process regarding coastal change.”

Story by Charlie Lister in the Sidmouth Herald

RESIDENTS will get a glimpse of what Sidmouth’s coastline could look like in the next 20 to 100 years next month.

Specially commissioned computer-generated images will feature in a special exhibition aimed at highlighting the causes of coastal change- and how erosion might affect the town in the future.

The event, at Kennaway House on Thursday, July 21, from 10am to 8pm, will give visitors the chance to see what Sidmouth’s Jurassic Coast may look like in 20,50 and 100 years time.

They can also find out how other communities have adapted to changes.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for the Environment, said: “Communities along the Jurassic Coast have lived with the impact of erosion, storms and rising sea levels for generations.

“These risks are only going to increase in the future, so it is important we continue to work together with residents and visitors to develop options to adapt to the threat of coastal change.

“I would encourage everyone to come along to this exhibition and see how the coastal erosion may affect them in the future.”

Story by Stefan Gordon in the Sidmouth Herald

Funding for vital flood defence schemes in the South West is to be cut by 16 per cent next year, the Government has confirmed.

But officials refused to produce a list of projects that will not get state aid as a result of the region losing £6 million in 2011/12.

Ministers announced that £521 million would be spent on protecting homes and businesses in England from April.

It is down from around £590million spent on capital and revenue in previous years. Of this, £34 million has been allocated to the wider South West – an area that includes Devon and Cornwall as well as Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset.

It represents a 16 per cent drop from the previous year’s allocation of £40 million.

Labour claims ministers are taking a “reckless gamble with people’s homes and businesses” as many schemes had been cancelled nationally.

As the devastation in recent years wrought on Boscastle, North Cornwall; Ottery St Mary, East Devon; and mid Cornwall indicate, the Westcountry is particularly susceptible to flooding.

While funding has decreased, the Environment Agency, the quango that oversees the projects, insisted major schemes in the region would go ahead.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs produced an “indicative” list of 33 projects in Devon and Cornwall that are in line for the Whitehall cash.

They include ongoing big schemes such as tidal defences in Shaldon, South Devon, on Teignmouth estuary and in Truro, which will provide protection to hundreds of properties.

The South West Regional Flood Defence Committee is to decide precisely which schemes get how much money over the next few months.

Geoff Boyd, flood and coastal risk manager for the Environment Agency in the South West, said: “We will continue to protect as many homes and businesses as we can. We have plans to work on 147 river and coastal flood defence schemes in the next financial year which, when completed, will increase protection to thousands of homes.”

The coalition Government says it has done its utmost to shield spending on flood defences in the spending review.

The Government expects to spend at least £1.2 billion on flooding and coastal erosion over the next four years and improve protection for at least 145,000 homes, environment minister Richard Benyon said.

“Inevitably, it has been necessary to find savings in all areas of Government expenditure,” he added.

From the following year, the Government will introduce a new funding mechanism where the state will not pay 100 per cent of the costs, which ministers hope will bring more schemes forward.

Mary Creagh, Shadow Environment Secretary, said: “The Tory-led Government are taking a reckless gamble with people’s homes and businesses by cutting the flood defence budget by 27 per cent in cash terms.”

In the House of Commons, Stephen Gilbert, Liberal Democrat MP for St Austell and Newquay, whose constituency was battered by floods last year, received assurances from ministers on funding for flood plans and wardens.

He said: “In St Blazey last year, we saw that community flood plans and volunteer flood wardens were able to help protect property and people.”

Story in the West Briton

THE devastated owners of a clifftop mansion told yesterday how a landslide caused their garden to crash 130ft into the sea – leaving the dream home perilously close to the edge.

Hundreds of tonnes of mud, dirt and a trees plunged down the cliff face onto the beach after 16ft of garden were lost to coastal erosion.

The landslide – the second in four days – comes almost three years to the day after the same property lost 80ft of land and several trees under similar circumstances.

The picturesque house in Dawlish, on the Devon coast was bought by the current owners 18 months ago for £1.75million and is now thought to be valued at around £1.1million.

It is thought the latest incident will cost thousands as surveyors will have to be brought in to stabilise the cliff using pins and metal grates.

The current female owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “There was an earlier fall about three years ago but this one has brought down at least one tree and it looks like there are several others which could come down.”

The property was built by business tycoon Nick Skilton, who was granted planning permission for the four-bedroom house in 2005.

Permission was given with a number of planning conditions attached, including a full report commissioned to establish the safety of the cliff after the property’s construction.

Mr Skilton was given the go-ahead by Teignbridge Council but in February 2007 it suffered a huge landslip.

He sold the property, which boasts a swimming pool and stunning panoramic views of the coast, in 2009.

A spokesman for Teignbridge Council said all conditions had been met at the time which allowed building on the site to go ahead.

Story in the Sun

SOUTH Devon MP Anne Marie Morris has secured a debate in the House of Commons seeking assurances on the future of the South Devon coastal railway line.

The Newton Abbot MP will use the time under the spotlight to discuss the importance of investing in Brunel’s famed Exeter to Plymouth railway line.

She wants to preserve the line, which runs through Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot and carries all rail traffic into South Devon and on to Plymouth and Cornwall.

She described it as “one of the most beautiful train journeys that can be taken in Europe”.

The debate will take place tomorrow afternoon in Westminster Hall.

She said: “The railway line connecting Exeter and Plymouth is of national importance and I am extremely fortunate to have the most idyllic stretch of it run through my constituency.

“Indeed, I would suggest the section of railway running between Starcross and Newton Abbot is one of the most beautiful train journeys that can be taken in Europe.

“I know the dramatic coastal scenery this railway line allows visitors to see as they travel through my constituency is a major attraction for many of the 5.3 million people who visit Devon each year.

“Tourism is a fundamental part of the Devon economy and supporting towns such as Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot is essential if Devon is to remain a visitor hotspot.

“Equally as important however is ensuring we have appropriate public transport provision in place for the thousands of commuters, travellers and residents who use the line on a daily basis.

“Nearly two million journeys a year begin or end at the stations on the coastal section of the Exeter to Plymouth line each year and many more passengers pass through en-route to Exeter, Plymouth, Cornwall and London.

“Supporting investment in the line is vital in order to ensure residents, businesses and tourists have good public transport access to places of work, interest and leisure.”

Her debate follows suggestions previously raised that the length of track could be abandoned in favour of an inland route because of its vulnerability to coastal erosion.

Putting in a new line would cost £100 million, while maintaining the existing stretch had been put at just £200,000, Mrs Morris has previously told MPs.

Studies have also shown the track would be “relatively safe” from erosion for the next 50 years.

She said: “I believe the future of rail travel in the South West has to involve the currently existing railway line between Exeter and Plymouth.

“Alternatives are costly and impractical.

“I relish the opportunity to put what I know to be an overwhelming case for continued investment in the Exeter to Plymouth line we have and I look forward to what promises to be an interesting and important debate.”

Story by Emma Pearcy in the Herald

NEW national seashore defence policies could mean major changes for two Torbay beaches.

Before Torbay Council adopts the latest version of the shoreline management plan to meet climate change predictions, it is to consult about the future of Goodrington Sands North and Broadsands.

The latest version of the government’s plan proposes not fighting the sea but allowing a ‘managed retreat’ inland to create new beaches.

In some places the waves will be allowed to erode as they will.

Council chief executive Elizabeth Raikes told a meeting of the Cabinet: “We have to make it clear there are limits on changes we can make. It’s about explaining to the community what reasonably can be done.”

The meeting heard that unless the council accepted the policy it would find it harder to get Government cash for sea defence projects.

Goodrington councillor Christine Carter said she was alarmed by the ‘managed retreat’ proposal.

“You cannot be serious,” she said.

“I cannot believe that you would allow Goodrington North to flood.”

She said there had been no consultation in the ward or with businesses around the beach.

“They’re in the dark about this,” she said. “Businesses have invested a lot of money in this area.

“Were they warned that in 50 years time there would be a managed retreat? “Would they have put money in there if they knew that?

“I think not.”

Regeneration councillor Chris Lewis insisted: “This is scare-mongering. Managed retreat means it will be managed. We are not going to flood these beaches.

“Nowhere in these documents does it say we will flood those areas.”

Drainage engineer Dave Stewart said the assessment had been produced by experts.

“Providing it’s feasible and technically possible to do it, the idea is to move the seawall back in 20 to 50 years to create a beach,” he said.

“If it’s not possible, the policy is to revert to holding the present line of defence.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “It’s important to remember these changes will not take place immediately — that is, not for at least 20 years and possibly not for 50 years.”

No final decision would be taken without significant public consultation, he said.

Changes to the climate are expected to result in more and stronger storms and bigger and more destructive waves hitting the shoreline.

The rate of erosion is such that if predictions for change come true, within the next 50 to 100 years the low tide level will be above the present beach level.

Water will always lap at the sea defences and there will be no large beaches anywhere in the Bay.

This erosion of levels will happen at all of the Bay beaches but, apart from Goodrington North and Broadsands, other sea defences are protecting roads, sewers, property or other valuable assets.

While the hard defences at Paignton, Preston, and Torquay will have to be strengthened to stop the waves, at Goodrington and Broadsands it may be more cost-effective to let the sea have its way in a controlled manner and create two beaches.

At today’s prices it could cost £20million to £30million to build a new seawall inside the existing one and breach the old defences.

Story in the South Devon Herald Express.

LEISURE beaches around Torbay are at risk of disappearing under rising sea water levels.

Torbay Council and its development arm, the Torbay Development Agency, are drawing plans to see what impact climate change could have on the Bay’s environment and tourism-based economy.

Steve Parrock, chief executive of the TDA, said at a meeting of the Torquay Chamber of Commence that general flooding and rising sea levels were a reality developers in Torbay had to take into account looking ahead over the next 25, 50 and 100 years.

He said: “The economic lifespan of a typical commercial development is approximately 50 years.

“The situation is not presently critical. We are not predicting a major catastrophe but it is something we are obliged to look at seriously when contemplating the scale of development envisaged in the mayor’s vision.

“The Environment Agency has told everyone sea levels are changing and that we need to be prepared for that.

“This could of course have a serious impact on Torbay’s economy in the medium term.

“The worst case scenario would see the loss of several beaches and the extent of leisure beaches is likely to be reduced.

“Across the Bay we will need to look at the impact of climate change and ensure we have enough new attractions to compensate for the loss of our traditional amenities.”

A shoreline management plan is currently being prepared by Teignbridge District Council which will cover the South Devon coast from Dawlish to the South Hams.

The report is expected to be published in July along with a strategic flood risk assessment which will be prepared by the Environment Agency, with input from Torbay Council. DEFRA is also preparing coastal erosion risk mapping which will predict the erosion of beaches and cliffs in the next 25, 50 and 100 years. This is due to be published in October 2010 and may include cliff-top properties within the Bay.

The aim of the report, which is due to be ready by April 20, is to tackle climate change over the next decades.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said sea levels could rise by one metre along the South Devon coastline over the next century.

Mr Parrock added: “We don’t know yet what the final reports will say. But we need to be prepared. We will need to assess early the likely impact of climate change upon some of the planned developments we have for the Bay.”

Mr Parrock said the management of the Bay’s breakwaters, sea defences and flood plains will become crucial to the prosperity of Torbay in the coming years.

Princess and Haldon Piers are anticipated to be recognised as formal sea defence by the Environment Agency. Brixham Breakwater and Paignton’s Easter Quay could soon get the same status.

Mr Parrock said: “Our collective approach to climate change will determine which developments are feasible, and whether and where we hold the line will shape the future. In the longer term we may well have to accept a managed retreat in some areas and let the sea take over.”

Story in the South Devon Herald Express

THE future of North Devon’s shoreline has come under the spotlight at a special meeting this week.

Devon County Council has welcomed a consultation draft review detailing how the coastline and coastal risks should be managed from Hartland Point to Anchor Head, near Weston-super-Mare, during the next 20, 50 and 100 years.

Cabinet members agreed with the North Devon and Somerset Shoreline Management Plan’s proposals to “hold the line” on developed sections of the coast to prevent flooding and erosion of the coastline at Devon’s coastal towns and resorts. They also supported a policy of “no active intervention” to the majority of the North Devon coast.

But the council objected to proposals for the “managed realignment” of sections from Instow and Yelland to Crow Point and Crow Neck. Councillors also asked for reassurance that investment in the Tarka Trail, National Cycle Network and the South West Coast Path will be taken into consideration and protected in the short to medium term.

They also voiced concern in relation to the long-term management of the former landfill site at Northam Burrows.

Cllr Stuart Hughes, Member for Highways and Transportation, said the Burrows site was “key area of concern” on the North coast.

“Our main concern is that it may be technically impossible to defend the site in 100 years or the legislation may have significantly changed, so we need to see more options built into the wording of this plan,” he said.

The council is now seeking a meeting with the Environment Agency to resolve its objections and concerns and to discuss the possibility of extending the Taw Torridge Strategy work to include considerations of erosion.

The North Devon and Somerset Shoreline Management Plan will revise an original document first published in 1998.

The draft has been put out for consultation until January 8, 2010 and is scheduled to be adopted by March. It can be viewed at www.ndascag.org

Story in the North Devon Gazette

DORSET’S Jurassic Coast is set to benefit from a £376,500 cash injection to help combat erosion and rising sea levels posed by climate change.

Dorset County Council environment chiefs teamed up with their East Devon counterparts to bid for a share of millions of pounds of Government cash.

The cash will be used on projects to benefit Preston Beach in Weymouth, Ringstead, Charmouth, Seatown and Swanage.

Hilary Cox, Dorset’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We are delighted that our bid has been successful.

“The coastal communities of Dorset and East Devon have lived with dynamic change for generations but it is clear that the risks and impacts from erosion, storms and rising sea levels are going to increase in future.”

The money, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) Coastal Change Pathfinder Fund, will be used to support a range of activities aimed at helping communities along the Jurassic Coast to better understand and adapt to the perceived impacts of coastal change.

The cash won’t be going on physically upgrading sea defences but will bankroll strategies and contingency plans for ‘at risk’ areas.

This includes using state-of-the-art media to highlight the extent of coastal erosion, establishing ‘coastal change champions’ to shape debate at local level and developing training programmes for conservationists.

Swanage is one of six sites in Dorset and East Devon highlighted as most vulnerable to climate change.

The other fives areas are located further west from Purbeck.

Coun Cox added: “The funding will help take the future discussions we are having with the communities most at risk from these changes to a new level, helping us to visualise what change may look like and develop options to adapt.”

Last May a huge landslide destroyed 400 metres of world heritage coastline near Lyme Regis.

Story by Diarmuid MacDonagh in the Dorset Echo