East Devon District Council moves to ensure public safety along the Jurassic Coast

Work to keep people safe beneath the crumbling cliffs at Seaton and Beer are set to begin.

The East Devon Council operation will help manage the risk to those who want to enjoy the unique stretch of coastline, which forms part of the Jurassic World Heritage Site

Following recommendations made in the authority’s 2018 cliff inspections report, the works are designed to manage public safety.

The first scheme on the list, beginning on Monday, February 11, is the installation of 15m length of catch fence adjacent to the Hideaway Café at West Walk, Seaton. The fence will be 2m high and is designed to catch material that would otherwise pose a risk to the public and the café itself. The works should be completed by February 18. West Walk and the Hideaway Café will still be accessible.

Work planned at Beer includes the extension of rock netting on the cliffs adjacent to the eastern extent of the beach, which is intended to prevent the fall of potentially unstable cliff material and reduce the risk to beach users.

Cllr Tom Wright, EDDC environment spokesman, said:

“We appreciate the public’s patience and co-operation during these works as we anticipate that some disruption will be unavoidable. However, these cliff works are essential to ensure that the public can continue to safely enjoy the beauty of East Devon’s unique coastline.

“Whilst we do all we can to make East Devon’s cliffs safe, they are vulnerable to extreme weather events and people at the foot of the cliffs should be aware that material can fall and, similarly, walkers should stay clear of cliff edges.”

** The council’s annual cliff inspections will take place by end of April 2019. These inspections cover the cliffs maintained by the council at Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Seaton and Sidmouth, and are to be completed by the council’s rope access contractors Abcas Ltd, and will be supervised by an engineering geologist from John Grimes Partnership Ltd. Any footpath closures required will be announced by the council prior to the works.

Follow @eastdevon on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/eastdevon/ as EDDC will be posting further information (start dates, diversions etc) on social media. Email engineers@eastdevon.gov.uk for more info.