PowerPoint 10: Coastal management at Lyme Regis

The Cobb, Lyme Regis Photo © Tom Bastin.

The Cobb The Cobb is a historic, Grade I listed harbour but it is also an important part of Lyme Regis’ coastal defences. Extensive structural investigations of the Cobb, which have already cost around £200,000, have concluded that the Cobb is stable. However, the investigators warn that the sea wall and walking surfaces could deteriorate quickly. Strengthening the sea wall and refurbishing the walkway would cost about £4 million.

Coastal management at Lyme Regis Current coastal management at Lyme Regis has been implemented in four phases. Phase V is yet to be approved.

Phase I: Cobb Gate to Church Cliff By 1990 the 250-year-old sea wall was in disrepair and approaching the point of failure. In the early 1990s West Dorset District Council implemented Phase I. This phase involved building a new sea wall and putting in rock armour. The work was completed in 1995 and cost £10 million. Photo © Ramues Gallois.

Phase II: Cobb Gate to the harbour The beaches were getting narrower and the sea wall was in danger of being breached. Landslides were expected within five years. Phase II involved planting the slope where there was a threat of landslip to stabilise it. The Cart Road sea wall was extended and new rock armour and masonry jetties were installed. Beach replenishment widened the beach. This phase took two years. It was finished in March 2007 and cost £26 million. Photo © Frances Rylands.

Phase III: Monmouth Beach and Ware Cliffs Monmouth Beach had become lower, particularly to the west, making Ware Cliffs vulnerable to erosion. No hard engineering was carried out. The land at risk was not sufficiently valuable to justify the expense of managing it. Maintenance of the beach and cliffs continues as a public service. Photo © Mike Faherty.

Phase IV: East Cliff East Cliff was at risk of serious landslides. The existing sea wall was in danger of being breached, and the groynes were in such disrepair that they were a danger to the public. The work secured 390 metres of coastline for the next 50 years. 480 homes were saved and underground pipes and cables protected. Phase IV, completed in June 2015, cost £19.5 million. Soil nailing to stabilise East Cliff. Photo © John Stephen.

Phase V: The Cobb No decision has been taken about Phase V: Protecting the Cobb. Photo © Tom Bastin.

Should the Cobb be protected? There are three options. Do nothing This would lead to the rapid deterioration of the sea wall and walking surfaces. Monitor damage Continue to monitor the sea wall and walkways and complete urgent repairs, taking advantage of any outside funding available. This may be tenable for a few years. Strengthen the sea wall Carry out strengthening works to the lower part of the sea wall and refurbish the surface of the lower walkway. It is estimated that this work would cost £4 million.

Representative from Natural England Natural England is an organisation that advises the government regarding the natural environment in England. It is responsible for improving public access to the coastline, conserving and enhancing the landscape, and managing programmes that restore wildlife.

Representative from West Dorset District Council West Dorset District Council was formed in 1974 and its headquarters is in Dorchester. The Council is responsible for securing funding and co-ordinating coastal management for the Dorset coast, including at Lyme Regis.

Resident of Lyme Regis The population of Lyme Regis is just under 4000. John Bragg is representing local people. He lives on Cobb Road and regularly attends the Coastal Forums held by Lyme Regis Town Council. He is concerned about the deterioration of the sea wall and walkways onto the Cobb, but also about the construction traffic and quality of workmanship if repairs go ahead (basically, he’s not going to be particularly happy regardless of what happens!)

Tourist visiting Lyme Regis Tracey Sims is one of approximately a million tourists each year who visit Lyme Regis and the surrounding area. She and her boyfriend have visited Lyme Regis every year for the last three years. They enjoy going onto the beach and also walking along the Cobb and around the town.

Consultant geologist Ian Wells is a consultant geologist. He is interested in the rocks of Lyme Regis, rather than in the coastal management scheme itself. The geology of Lyme Regis is dominated by Blue Lias – alternating layers of limestone and shale – laid down around 200 million years ago. He wants the town to be protected from coastal erosion because of its unique landscape, but is also concerned that important fossils are not disturbed.

Chief Engineer Fran Newman is the Chief Engineer for a large company specialising in coastal management schemes. She is responsible for designing and costing the repair and reinforcement of the Cobb and for remedial work on the lower walkway. She has been involved in the previous phases of the Lyme Regis coastal management scheme.

Press release following public meeting Your job is to write a press release for Lyme Regis Parish Council which summarises the discussion at the meeting. The press release will be sent to local newspapers and radio stations. It should state the points made by each speaker, explaining which organisations or groups of people they represented. It should give people who were not at the meeting a good sense of what was discussed. It should be clear and concise and fit on one side of an A4 sheet. Your press release should include: the names of the representatives, and the groups or organisations they represented their views, and which of the three options they favoured.