Expert recommendations on how to safeguard Sidmouth’s coastline are due in September – but their implementation will be dependent on funding being secured.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) is drawing up a £75,000 beach management plan (BMP) for the town.
In January, the council moved tonnes of shingle to create a ‘winter blanket’. That £100,000 project was carried out using emergency government funding, but the authority has not budgeted to repeat the work this year.
The BMP was hit by delays and EDDC’s accounts show that a £30,000 underspend on it from 2013/14 has been held over to this year.
An EDDC spokeswoman said: “Work on the BMP is continuing to make steady progress and the recommendations from our consultants are due in September.
“However, any future engineering work is dependent on funding from the Environment Agency, Defra and from other sources that we will need to explore, as well as approval from relevant regulators.”
The BMP will look to address issues of coastal erosion, particularly at the east of the River Sid.
A £300,000 project to replace Alma Bridge will not get underway until the plan has been completed.
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