Public exhibitions on Dawlish and Exmouth beach management
11 Jun 2014 12:04 PM
The Environment Agency,
Teignbridge District Council and East Devon District Council are working on a
beach management project that will look at two key locations on both sides of
the estuary, Exmouth and Dawlish Warren.
These organisations are working
together to stage two public drop-in exhibitions in June to provide some more
information on the project and give local people an opportunity to comment on
the proposals.
These are projects following on
from the Exe Estuary Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy which
identified how to manage the flood and coastal erosion risk in the estuary now
and into the future.
The first drop-in exhibition
will be held on 24 June between 2pm and 8pm at the Ocean Blue Bowling Complex,
The Esplanade, Exmouth, and the second on 25 June again between 2pm and 8pm at
Langstone Cliff Hotel, Mount Pleasant Road, Dawlish Warren.
Representatives from each
organisation will be there to answer questions and to receive feedback on what
people think about the proposed works.
A range of information will be
available about the project including how the beaches at Dawlish Warren and
Exmouth work and the natural processes that shape the coastline, and how the
winter storms affected the beachfront defences.
The exhibitions will show the
recent damage caused and the repair works undertaken. People attending the
exhibition will also be able to view proposals for the new flood defence
planned near the Visitor Centre at Dawlish Warren. There will also be
information on how some of the groynes on the beaches at Dawlish Warren and
Exmouth could be repaired or replaced and how the beaches could be recharged by
adding extra sand. There will also be information explaining plans to remove a
section of gabions at Dawlish Warren.
A collection of historic
paintings gathered on behalf of the Living with a Changing Coast (LiCCo)
project and showing the Exe Estuary of yesteryear will also be on display at
both exhibitions. At Exmouth there will also be a free talk starting at 7pm by
the Exmouth Historical and Archaeological Society to explain their research and
the changing coastline as shown by these artworks.
Martin Davies from the
Environment Agency said:
We would like to know what
people think about the scheme. Also, if people have any information about the
local environment or the activities that could be affected by the proposals we
would like to hear from them.’
Teignbridge District Council and
East Devon District Council will have some leaflets and display information at
the exhibitions about other projects happening along the
seafront.
Cllr Kevin Lake, Teignbridge
District Council’s Executive Spokesman for Environmental Services which
includes coastal services, said:
With its blue flag award winning
beach and world acclaimed National Nature Reserve, Dawlish Warren is important
to our tourism industry, Teignbridge’s ecology, wildlife and coastal
defence.
As the great storm of February
showed, it’s also continuingly at risk from taking a battering from the
elements. The exhibitions are a great opportunity for people to come and see
the repair works so far and what is planned for the future.
The Exe Estuary Strategy and
recent storms have shown that parts of Dawlish Warren in particular are at risk
of being damaged or breached and this risk will increase as sea level rise and
storms become more frequent. If this happened, it would increase the risk of
flooding to the railway line and estuary communities such as Starcross,
Lympstone and Exmouth.
The works needed at Dawlish
Warren are required to allow the sand spit to continue to act as a barrier to
storm waves but also to improve the amenity value of the beach and to allow the
sand dunes to function naturally. Although less urgent, the works that are
needed for Exmouth seafront will also be explained.
The Dawlish Warren and Exmouth
Beach Management Scheme will review and deliver the works required to manage
the beaches at these estuary locations