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

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

SIDMOUTH could cash in on a share of £376,500 awarded to Dorset County Council to fight rising sea levels and coastal erosion caused by climate change.

On Wednesday the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) awarded £11 million in grants to local authorities through its Coastal Change Pathfinder competition.

Dorset CC, in partnership with Devon County Council, successfully bid under the banner of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

“This is brilliant news for Sidmouth, being the only coastal location identified in Devon, and I believe it may well be possible to draw down the funding to help us come up with a scheme that will be acceptable to everyone that will protect Sidmouth from coastal flooding,” said Councillor Stuart Hughes.

“The challenge is how our communities like Sidmouth will respond to the threat of coastal change, yet remain vibrant and thriving communities. I look forward to the outcomes of this work.”

During a discussion about erosion at Pennington Point at Wednesday’s meeting of East Devon District Council’s executive board, he announced the award and hoped it would help fund periodic surveys of the cliff and beach, at a cost of £10,000 each, and a report appraising the outcomes of a 2001 report, which came up with four options to protect the cliffs.

This report, costing some £40,000, would form part of a submission to Defra seeking funding and approval for a scheme to better protect Sidmouth from continued erosion.

EDDC has no budget for either reports, but the board was in favour of both, accepting a revised report from consultants Royal Haskoning that periodic surveys were needed.

Councillor Peter Halse said erosion was “a serious issue for Sidmouth. While the rock groynes protected the town, there was little doubt there had been an adverse effect on Pennington Point.

Richard Eley, chairman of Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce and Robert Crick, chairman of Sidmouth Vision Group, made representations to the board before its debate.

Mr Eley said if the erosion rates from the 2001 and the latest report were both accurate “then the cliffs at Pennington Point must have grown towards France by 2.58 metres.”

He said the 2001 report’s figures should be discarded, adding: “We really do need to get these figures correct so the decision-making process is properly informed.”

Councillor Graham Liverton, chairman of EDDC, said: “I am beginning to wonder whether the people we had to do this survey are worth their salt. The 2001 report is not worth the paper it is printed on.”

Mark Reilly, head of StreetScene, said: “We need to identify the rates of erosion of the cliffs, which is spasmodic. As an authority we rely on information given from consultants.

“We believe there is a need for regular periodic surveys to monitor cliff erosion.”

Mr Hughes said loss of beach material directly affected cliff erosion.

“If there is no beach material then twice a day the sea bangs the bottom of the cliffs and loosens it.”

He predicted more erosion this winter because of the lack of beach.

EDDC would like other interested parties, such as National Trust, DCC and South West Water to continue to meet to consider future issues affecting Pennington Point.

Story in the Sidmouth Herald