Consultation meeting on sea wall works, Chesil Cove, Portland

More than 50 members of the public attended the drop-in session and presentation at the Portland Community Venue to make their thoughts known on the proposals.

Engineers Jacobs, which have assessed the site on behalf of Dorset Council, says that the sea wall is gradually being undermined, which may put the the A354 beach road at risk as well as some homes.

Chesil Cove (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Part of the plan to combat this is to put large granite rocks in front of the sea wall, at the cove.

This has resulted in a significant backlash from members of the public who love the cove as a piece of personal heritage and recreation and claim siting large rocks there would 'destroy' it.

Esmari Steenkamp, Dorset Council’s coastal risk manager, and Ross Fitzgerald from Jacobs led the meeting.

Ms Steenkamp said: "This is my beach as well. If we had any choice I would love to leave it as it is. Sometimes you feel powerless and I understand that. 

"The concerns that arise are the same, it is with the rock abatement."

Esmari (centre) and Ross (left) with Dorset Coast Forum officers at the meeting (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Portland resident Kim Scard holds the beach close to her heart. Generations of her family including her parents and children learned to swim at the cove.

She said: "It is part of our life, any work that is done is going to immediately destroy the special corner for the remainder of our lifetimes.

"We are going to lose something and that is heart-breaking, and that is why I am here. We do feel really strongly about it.

"Our views are being noted, but will they be listened to?"

Other locals also expressed similar concerns, with the main issue being the rocks proposed to be brought in.

There was a sense from some that the opinion of islanders is often ignored, such as with the Portland incinerator, which received planning permission despite strong local opposition.

Graham Utteridge, also from Portland, says he has a greater appreciation of the problem following the drop-in.

"The solution goes from putting rocks everywhere to doing nothing. If you do nothing the road is gone, and if you do something you need to put rocks and the cove is gone.

"They have to look for a compromise."

Dorset Council and Jacobs stressed that nothing has been finally decided about the ultimate design with the council first needing to put funding in place.

The plans must also be signed off by the Environment Agency, whose guidelines insist on a 100-year plan.

The preferred option for the works is to repair and strengthen the current 1965 seawall and to protect it with a rock armour revetment, extending 25 metres seaward from its base, made up of two layers of 10-15 tonne granite rocks.

Dan Williams, an officer from the Dorset Coast Forum said: "It is a tricky topic, it is always going to be controversial. We want to collect the local opinion and inform them of the project.

"We have been able to communicate today that it is currently at a conceptual stage and nothing is set in stone."

A previous public meeting was told that using Portland stone in the project is unlikely – even though a local quarry could provide it, and the design will have to meet the Agency’s highest standards.

More public meetings on this issue are planned.

For more information, and to fill out a survey with your thoughts, visit: https://www.dorsetcoast.com/tag/chesil-cove/