Lyme regis case study: The threat
The coastal slopes have been subject to marine erosion that has been slowed by the construction of sea walls		The seaward part of the town faces two quite different but intimately linked threats: damage to the sea wall by marine erosion and mass movement of landslides in the coastal slopes above them. The sea walls have, for many years, brought relative stability to the coastal landslides but poor and damaged drainage, coupled with the constant attack on the sea walls by winter storms, raises the threat of reactivation of these landslides especially if part of the sea wall were to collapse. Problems arising from coastal landslides have been particularly serious during the 20th century. Some fifteen individual properties have been destroyed and many more severely damaged. There have been several major sea wall breaches along the main frontage, frequent substantial damage to Cobb Road and the complete loss of the main coastal road to Charmouth.
		Cliff House was destroyed by a landslide in the winter of 1962
		Clearly something has to be done. The Lyme Regis Environmental Improvements were initiated by West Dorset District Council in the early 1990's, with the principal aim of implementing engineering works to help ensure that the integrity of the town's coast protection was maintained in the long term and to reduce the damage and disruption caused by coastal landsliding. This content of this site is taken from the Preliminary Studies Summary Report of August 2000.
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