Scheme update to manage coastal flooding and erosion in Sidmouth

The steering group for Sidmouth’s Beach Management Scheme has just received a progress update from East Devon District Council’s project team and its consultants Royal Haskoning DHV.

At a meeting on Thursday 15 March 2018, the steering group were briefed about the work undertaken over the past two months to develop the outline design for Sidmouth’s Beach Management Scheme, which aims to reduce the risk of flooding to the town both by improving the beach and defences on the main seafront and by reducing the rate of erosion along East Beach.

Royal HaskoningDHV showed how for the main Sidmouth Beach, they’d been using the computer models developed as part of the first phase of the project to test different beach profiles to see what height and width of beach is most effective in reducing waves overtopping the esplanade. The more detailed computer modelling now underway seems to be indicating that a modest increase in height of the existing splashwall along the seafront may be helpful in reducing flood risk to the town.

The council’s consultants have also been testing different numbers, lengths and positions of groynes on East Beach, using computer models that simulate shingle movement, as well as by using real life examples of shingle behaving in similar situations nearby. The aim here is to use groynes to hold a beach in front of the cliffs, which would be of a similar height to the beach behind the breakwaters at the Western end of Sidmouth Beach.  

Councillor Tom Wright, East Devon’s portfolio holder for the Environment who is now chair of the steering group meeting, said: 

”Excellent progress is being made to deliver a scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to Sidmouth, and I was really pleased to see the support for the work from both the local community and statutory bodies on the project steering group.”

Alexander Lee, Royal HaskoningDHV Project Manager, added: 

“Modelling work is progressing well and it has been useful to discuss our findings with the Steering Group as we go along. We are now looking forward to having the opportunity to share our work with the stakeholder community in the forthcoming public exhibition.”