A STEEP and rugged cliff path between Highcliffe Castle grounds and the popular beach below is going to cost Christchurch council dearly - in expensive repairs or costly insurance claims.

The crumbling zig-zag path, increasingly used following the completion of the Christchurch coastal path, has already led to a number of falls and injuries including broken bones.

And a report to the borough council's resources committee meeting on Wednesday warns: "There is little doubt that given the present state a serious accident will almost certainly occur sooner or later."

The path was created nearly 30 years ago when the council acquired the castle, to provide access to the beach and follows the line of an earlier cliff slippage.

But the report drawn up by council head of projects Mike Allen says that as an 'opportunity construction' the unsurfaced path was not built to high engineering standards and does not meet current safety and disability access standards.

And hopes of partial funding for the estimated £65,000 cost of bring the path up to standard were dashed by the failure of a council bid for a further lottery grant towards the next phase of the continuing restoration of the historic castle - a grade I listed building - and its clifftop grounds.

Now councillors are being recommended to find an extra £30,000 from the town hall coffers to bolster the £35,000 already budgeted for the works - or face closing the zig-zag path with the resulting loss of access to the beach and disruption to the coastal path.

Subject to the committee's consent, detailed plans are being drawn up to upgrade the path with better surface, safety fencing, and improved drainage to allow disabled access and improved safety for all users of the path.

First published: August 23