Portland's 1965 Chesil Cove seawall could fail in a big storm, a council report warns. A £10.96m scheme goes to Cabinet on 10 November, with work in 2028-29.
The seawall at Chesil Cove on Portland is deteriorating and its southern section “may fail during a future significant storm event”, according to a Dorset Council report.
The council wants to strengthen it in a £10.96 million scheme. Its Cabinet is asked to approve the plan and a council contribution of up to £3.14 million on Tuesday 10 November.
The wall was built in 1965. It stops the sea eroding the foot of the West Weares, the landslip slope above Chiswell. The Cabinet report warns that if the wall failed, erosion could restart and “potentially reactivate the landslide”.
What is at risk
The report says that without the work, these could be affected:
- about 51 homes
- businesses, beach huts, footpaths and community buildings
- utility pipes and cables
- the A354, Portland’s only road to the mainland
It describes the A354 as an essential route for about 13,000 residents, businesses, visitors, the emergency services and HMP The Verne.
Inspections, coastal studies and ground investigations found:
- signs of deterioration and structural movement
- the beach level dropping in front of the wall
- the wall’s foundations becoming exposed
What the scheme would do
The council looked at a range of options. The one it recommends would:
- strengthen the existing seawall
- drive new steel sheet piles
- build a rock revetment, a sloping bank of rock armour, to protect the wall
The report says this would hold the line at Chesil Cove for the next 100 years. That follows the shoreline management plan’s “Hold the Line” policy for Chiswell to Chesil Beach.
Who pays
Most of the money would come from the government’s flood and coastal defence grant, paid through the Environment Agency.
| Source | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood and coastal grant | £0.92m | £4.23m | £2.19m | £7.34m |
| Dorset Council | £0.40m | £1.81m | £0.93m | £3.14m |
| Total | £1.32m | £6.04m | £3.12m | £10.48m |
The council has also spent £380,000 of its own revenue money and £100,000 of regional flood levy money on the work so far. That takes the full cost to about £10.96 million.
The grant is not guaranteed until the Environment Agency has assessed the business case. The report says the risk of refusal is reduced because the scheme has a strong economic case and a large local contribution. It puts the benefits at about £42.9 million over 100 years, or £3.90 for every £1 spent. The scheme “will not proceed to construction unless an affordable funding package has been confirmed”, it says.
When it would happen
If Cabinet agrees, the report’s programme is:
- 2027: detailed design, more surveys and early work
- 2027 to 2028: planning permission, a marine licence, other approvals and choosing a contractor
- 2028 to 2029: most of the construction
The timetable depends on approvals, funding, weather, tides and any public inquiry needed under the Coast Protection Act 1949.
This is a separate, much larger job from the short repair Dorset Council started in October, after inspections found holes in the steel piling. Our roadworks and travel page covered that work.
What it means for you
- Nothing changes on the ground yet. The big works are not expected to start before 2028.
- If you live in Chiswell or near the West Weares, this is the scheme meant to protect your street. The planning and marine licence applications will each be a chance to comment.
- To speak at Cabinet, send a question or statement by 8.30am on Thursday 5 November, according to the meeting agenda. The meeting starts at 6.30pm at County Hall, Dorchester.
We will report the decision after the meeting.
Have your say