Residents Invited to Help Shape New Cliff Management Guide
Dorset Coast Forum and South West Flood and Coastal* are launching a series of engagement drop-in events to help produce a Cliff Management guide for the BCP Council area – a new resource designed to support residents living near the area’s iconic cliffs.
The Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole coastline boasts some of the most beautiful and dynamic cliff landscapes in the UK. Effective management is crucial to ensure safety and environmental sustainability.
The new guide will raise awareness about cliff erosion and provide practical advice and other essential information for landowners, homeowners, businesses, or residents who manage privately owned cliffs.
To help produce the new cliff management guide, Dorset Coast Forum are hosting a number of engagement events to listen and understand comments, views and questions. We’d like to hear about how cliff erosion impacts people who live and work on the coast.
Engagement will run during June and July with the results fed back to the South West Flood and Coastal team (hosted by BCP Council).
Cllr Andy Hadley Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, at BCP Council said:
“The sea cliffs across the BCP area are a striking feature of our beautiful coastline and many of them are Sites of Special Scientific Interest. As well as managing erosion from the sea we are also aiming to provide a single, consistent and integrated approach to managing our cliffs. Producing a new Cliff Management Guide is part of this work and we invite people to come and talk to us in our forthcoming face to face events.”
Elaine Snow, Project Officer for the Dorset Coast Forum, said:
“We want to connect with people across BCP who live on or near the cliffs to understand their awareness of the environment around them. For example, do they know who to contact when they spot cliff erosion? By taking part in this engagement, residents will help us gain valuable insights into community knowledge, allowing us to shape this guide to better serve those living near the cliffs.”
Engagement activities will take place throughout June, including, drop-in events on:
11 June – Cliffhanger Car Park, Highcliffe from 11.00am to 3.00pm
24 June – Pier View Room, Boscombe from 2.30 to 6.30pm
25 June – Branksome Dene Room, Branksome from 12.30 to 4.30pm
There will also be an online event on Monday 30 June 6.00 to 7.00pm. Information on how to register will be shared on the project webpage.
Can’t attend in person? Share your thoughts via an online survey
Dorset Coast Forum, Swanage Town Council and Dorset Council are inviting residents, visitors, and local businesses to share their views on fresh proposals for the Swanage Green Seafront.
Building on feedback from the 2023 consultation, this engagement round introduces a new option for the Green Seafront, alongside four potential highways options for Shore Road from Dorset Council. In this unique engagement, the community have the opportunity to have a say on two major projects on the Seafront, something never before seen in Swanage.
Engagement activities will take place throughout May and June, including:
A pop-up at the Swanage Market (8.00am – 11.00am) and outside Co-op on 30th May (12.30pm – 2.30pm).
Drop-in events on 3rd June at the Focus Centre from 10.00am – 2.00pm and 4th June at The Mowlem, 3.30pm – 7.30pm.
View recording of an online public engagement webinar from 1 April 2025. The webinar presented on the updates for the Round 2 developments of the Portland Underhill to Wyke Regis Flood and Erosion Strategy.
Would you like to be a SBMP On the Water Ambassador in 2025?
Join us on Wednesday 9th April 2025 7-8pm for this one hour online event to find out more how you can support marine conservation at Studland Bay.
Informal yet informative, this workshop recognises that the best people to raise awareness of how eco-moorings are supporting Dorset’s largest seagrass meadow to thrive are those who love to spend time there on or in the water. The event will share information about the developments from last season and how you can get involved and share the key messaging for the 2025 season ahead when you are ‘on the water’.
For more details and to register for the online event on the 9th April
We are thrilled to announce the start of the DCF 30 year anniversary celebrations! This milestone marks three decades of achievements made possible through our valued partnerships. As part of our celebrations, we aim to showcase these accomplishments and honour those who have played, and those who presently play, an active role in bringing wider benefits to the Dorset Coast. From policy makers to beach cleaners, fishers to lifeguards, and conservationists to swimmers, each one is a champion of our coast.
Nominate your coastal champion!
To kick off the celebrations, we invite you to nominate your coastal champion – someone who lives or works along the Dorset coast, from all ages, backgrounds, and sectors. We would love to hear the story of this person, their work or passion for the coast, whilst raising awareness of challenges that coastal communities face.
Successful nominations will be featured in our ‘Coastal Life Stories’ exhibition, highlighting the diverse and inspiring stories of our Dorset coastal communities. The Coastal Life Stories exhibition will be displayed at various coastal events and locations throughout the year, finishing in our 30-year celebration at the DCF conference in November.
Contact us with your nomination and a short paragraph of why you think this person is a coastal champion and should be part of the Coastal Life Stories exhibition.
The deadline for nominations has been extended to Tuesday 22 April 2025
