8 Key questions answered on Sidmouth's controversial Beach Management Plan

A number of key questions on the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan have been answered in a new and updated document from East Devon District Council.

The council has updated its Frequently Asked Questions page on the beach management plan after fresh developments and a formal update was given to Sidmouth Town Council.

Here are the council's answers to eight key questions:

1. What are the project's next steps?

Responding to the level of questions raised locally about the proposal to raise the existing splash defence and the preferred option delivery, the project team has been investigating several areas to try and help move the project forwards, including various design options for the splash defence:

-The Chairman of the Steering Group, councillor Geoff Jung attended a Sidmouth Town Council meeting on 6 January 2020.

-The project team will be setting up a separate meeting in early January 2020 with Hoteliers and -Local Group representatives, aimed at explaining the preferred option, project next steps and options for the splash defence.

-The installation of a trial glass splash defence panel in the New Year will give the council important insight into the feasibility of this material as a possible alternative to a concrete splash defence in some locations.

-A Steering Group meeting will be arranged for mid-February 2020 to receive updates on the project and funding progress, as well as considering a range of material and technical options for the delivery of the project.

1. What stage is the project at?

Since the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan (BMP) was adopted by East Devon District Council in April 2017, the council has been working with its consultants (Royal Haskoning DSV) to develop the preferred option, involving design, modelling, testing and looking at costs.

The modelling work has identified a need to raise the splash defence at the rear of the promenade to catch and return wave overtopping in high tide and storm conditions.

The preferred option contained in the BMP is considered to be the best technical, economic and environmental option to achieve the objectives of the scheme.

The project is currently at the Outline Business Case stage, which involves collating the history of coastal protection in Sidmouth, scheme details, costs, benefits and forms in a bid, which will be submitted for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Grant in Aid (FCERMGiA).

1. What is the estimate for project costs?

The project's pre-tender costs have been estimated at:

-Present value design and construction costs £8.9m

-Present value post construction costs (maintenance) £4.7m

-Present value total scheme costs £ 13.6m

-Flood Defence Grant in Aid from central government £5.7m

-Partnership Funding contribution required £3.2m

1. What has caused the most recent erosion at East Beach? Do you expect it to return to normal historic rates?

The current period of rapid cliff recession and low beach levels is indicated to have begun in the late 1980s/early 1990s. While this is broadly coincident with construction of the offshore breakwaters and rock groynes on Sidmouth beach, other periods of low beach and rapid cliff loss have occurred previously, with several large cliff failures shown at Pennington Point and along East Cliff in the past.

This evidence suggests that the cause of cliff recession seen in recent years is not related to the breakwaters, and is more likely to be a function of several factors including:

-Low beach levels due to persistent South-Westerly storms

-Particularly wet weather since 2000

-Erosion along the more vulnerable bedrock joints

-Erosion of a greater thickness of weak sediments capping the cliffs at Pennington Point

-Erosion of a tunnel excavated along the base of the cliffs, believed to have taken place in the 1990s

Over the longer term, erosion rates are expected to return to the lower historic rate, but given the large uncertainties over the geology as well as future storms and climate conditions, it is very difficult to predict when this might be.

1. Why has the Beach Management Plan taken longer than expected?

The Beach Management Plan (BMP) was originally due to be completed in September 2015, however there were delays in obtaining critical data on previous projects and works at Sidmouth, as well as requests from the BMP steering group to take into account additional anecdotal evidence to provide more detail on the options appraisal and to work with community groups to consider the realistic level of partnership funding. The BMP was adopted by East Devon District Council in April 2017.

1. What happens once the Beach Management Plan is completed?

Option S1 has been identified as the preferred option, as it provides the best balance between technical viability, environmental acceptability and economic case, and we have begun work on the outline design and business case to submit to the Environment Agency for approval of Government funding (Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant in Aid).

At this point, the BMP will become the Beach Management Scheme (BMS) and following approval, detailed design and applications for statutory consents (such as planning permission) will be required, prior to the preferred BMP scheme being tendered and construction starting on site.

1. Why aren't you doing something now?

We have considered interim works, however these would not be eligible for funding, and require the same land and marine based consents prior to construction as the longer term solution. Therefore our efforts have been concentrated in progressing the Beach Management Scheme.

1. What is a splash wall, why is it required in Sidmouth and what will it look like?

A splash wall is a secondary wall inland from the primary seawall. The primary wall takes most of the wave's energy, but in doing so, forces the wave upwards. Some of the wave water will land on top of the sea wall or promenade in what is known as spray or slop. Once on top of the wall, water will drain to the lowest point, either back into the sea, but also inland, where it can pool in low spots overwhelming the local drain network, leading to property flooding away from the sea front.

Sidmouth already has a splash wall, which is the tired small concrete wall, which runs between the pedestrian promenade and the highway. To date, this has kept Sidmouth largely flood free, but looking towards the future, the wall will need to be raised to allow for predicted sea level rise and more frequent storm events.

Based on current predictions, the splash wall will need to be raised to approximately 1m above the pedestrian promenade level, but it needn't be the same concrete wall construction as the current splash wall.

This could be a great opportunity to replace the existing wall with something much more attractive, forming a 'splash defence' rather than a splash wall. We appreciate raising the wall is a sensitive issue, but it is required to reduce the risk of flooding to Sidmouth.

The design isn't fixed and we are looking at various options, which are sympathetic to Sidmouth, while still providing the level of protection required.

Design options being considered including masonry walls, glass panel walls, community art walls, and integrated seating/planting walls among others. We would welcome the community's input to this important element.

Sidford ward member, councillor Stuart Hughes, said: "There has been a lot of talking and toing and froing on a scheme that will protect Sidmouth from coastal flooding both now and in the future.

"We now ALL need to sign up to a scheme that will both protect and be aesthetically pleasing to locals visitors and for future generations."

If you would like to see the full FAQ document, click the red button below.