Council advised to take measures to protect residents following Ware cliff landslides (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Council advised to take measures to protect residents following Ware cliff landslides

12:30pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in Lyme Regis By Adrianne Maslen

THE town council has been advised to take measures to protect residents and property following landslides at Ware Cliff.

A chalet was left dislodged, two caravans were hit by rubble, and a section of the coast path through the Undercliff was closed when heavy downpours caused several landslides at Ware and Monmouth Beach.

The coast path has now been re-opened but walkers are advised to take extreme care as there is still some movement.

The incidents forced the town council to put into action its new emergency planning procedure for the first time on December 29.

Deputy town clerk John Wright told councillors at a town management committee meeting last week that the incident highlighted changes that need to be made to the procedure.

After meeting with technical engineer Peter Chapman last week to review the area, Mr Wright said there continues to be movement at the site.

“There is some movement on the site that has been plotted,” said Mr Wright.

He said additional readings of ground movement are being taken under the circumstances.

Mr Wright said before the caravans are moved back there is an opportunity to put some drainage at ‘relatively low cost’ to alleviate some of the water that is gathering.

But he told councillors that the council needs to take more permanent preventative action in the area to prevent and predict further slips.

“We need to begin to take a more active overview of what’s happening and take account of reports from Peter Chapman and an annual process to consider this in perhaps some more detail at council meetings,” he said.

He added that the council should take advice from anyone else who has knowledge about the site, such as the county council’s earth sciences manager Richard Edmonds.

He said: “I think this is very sensible, it’s good risk management. To protect the residents and protect the properties is a good thing for an organisation like us to do.”

The South West Coast Path (SWCP) through Undercliffs National Nature Reserve (NNR), which was closed on December 27, was re-opened on Friday.

Natural England and Devon County Council closed the National Trail because a significant landslip opened a large crack along a section of the path near Lyme Regis.

Natural England said work has now been completed to divert a section of the path.

A spokesman said: “Walkers are advised to be extremely cautious when walking on the SWCP through Undercliffs NNR between Axmouth and Lyme Regis as there are several sections affected by continuing earth movement.

“Please report any significant earth movement or landslips on 07818 321853.”