Seaton & Colyton MATTERS

Seaton works to slow coastal erosion will start in 2025

Posted on January 26, 2024

A stakeholder meeting of the Seaton Beach Management Plan heard yesterday that there are finally definite steps towards implementing the agreed measures to protect the cliffs from wave erosion, which amount mainly to increasing the stone revetment at the foot of the cliffs between Seaton Hole and the Hideaway Cafe. It is not clear yet how the failed gabion baskets at the latter end will be replaced.

The plan is for work to begin on or as soon as possible after 1 April 2025, and it is expected to last 6-12 weeks. Delays are most likely to occur in the obtaining of permissions and licences. The aim is to complete it before the school holidays, but it has to be done in the late spring or summer because of weather conditions, which have safety and also cost implications.

EDDC have brought in a specialist team from Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council (BCP) to manage the scheme. They both seemed competent and keen to get on with planning the work and appointing a contractor, on which they will report at a further meeting in July.

The scheme, to be known as the Seaton Hole Beach Management Scheme, will mainly involve importing large rocks by sea and then moving them into position along the beach. Heavy equipment will be brought along the beach and left down there during the period of the works. 

There will probably be a site compound at Fisherman’s Gap. There could also be a small one at Seaton Hole, but only in the case that additional work needs to be done on the concrete revetment at the foot of the steps – which should not really be necessary because this was only redone in 2022.

A section of the beach, together with the path down at Seaton Hole, may be closed off during the works, at least on weekdays. We are promised that the arrangements will be flexible and will attempt to minimise inconvenience.

West Seaton & Seaton Hole Association representatives gave a detailed account of the recent deterioration of the beach. Storms have exacerbated the underlying problem caused by works at Beer thirty years ago, which is leading to the growth of Beer beach and the weakening of Seaton Hole’s. We also made them aware of how busy Seaton Hole is in the summer.