Sidmouth homeowners turn ‘activists’ over eroding cliffs

LATEST: “It’s all too easy to ignore these issues,” say campaigners.

CLIFF-top Sidmouth residents, who fear their homes will fall into the sea, have revealed a �900,000 scheme they hope will halt rapid erosion of the town’s East Cliff.

They this afternoon (Tuesday) submitted a planning application- for a five-meter-high, 210-meter long revetment- to East Devon District Council (EDDC).

Cliff Road homeowners say their garden are receding by 13feet a year and have formed an ‘action group’.

Paul Griew, from the Cliff Road Action Group, said: “It’s all too easy to ignore these issues until they affect you personally and directly, but that can be too late.

“Everyone who lives in beautiful Sidmouth - and thousands of summer visitors too - benefits from the beaches and the cliff walks and assumes the town is safe from flooding.

“But unless action is taken to protect the East Cliff, nothing can be taken for granted.”

Twelve homes are at risk from erosion of Sidmouth’s East Cliff and Pennington Point. Residents calculate the first of their homes will be claimed by the sea within 15 years.

Their planning application proposes building the 5m-high retaining wall running along the base of the cliff.

Flood protection

Plans also include measures to protect central Sidmouth from possible flooding caused by the erosion of some of the town’s natural sea defences.