New Beach and Cliff Management Plan for Budleigh Salterton in development
A new Beach and Cliff Management Plan (BCMP) is being prepared by East Devon District Council (EDDC) and South West Flood & Coastal for Budleigh Salterton to set out how the town’s beach and cliffs should be managed in the years ahead. The plan will help guide practical and realistic approaches to reducing risks from coastal erosion, cliff falls, flooding and climate change, while recognising the town’s unique landscape and environmental importance.
Budleigh Salterton’s coastline is constantly changing. Natural processes, such as cliff retreat and shifting beach levels, are part of this evolution and cannot be stopped entirely. However, the new plan will explore all the feasible options for managing risks, protecting people and infrastructure where possible, and planning for the future in a way that balances social, environmental and economic needs.
Since the Shoreline Management Plan was adopted in 2011, conditions have changed in some areas. There have been cliff falls to the west of the town, some localised flooding issues from blocked outfalls, and changes to the South West Coast Path. At the same time, beach levels in central section’s remain stable or accreting, which is positive for managing flood and erosion risk. Updating the evidence base now will help ensure the right choices are made for both the short and long term.
In the western cliff area, the current Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) sets a policy of ‘No Active Intervention’. This means that as part of developing the BCMP, options for adaptation will need to be considered where interventions could only slow the rate of erosion. The plan will therefore explore what feasible adaptation measures may be available and provide clear, realistic information on the options.
The BCMP will combine the latest technical studies with community input. It will assess coastal processes, review the condition of defences, and identify options ranging from maintenance and adaptation to improved access and regeneration opportunities. The outcome will be an adaptive pathway that is clear, flexible, and based on what is achievable within environmental and funding limits.
Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC Portfolio Holder for Environment - Operations, said: “Budleigh Salterton’s coastline is unique and will remain a dynamic, changing environment.
"This project is about being both realistic and proactive: assessing the options available, seeking to protect what is reasonably possible, and planning carefully for the future.
"In some areas, physical intervention may be limited due to environmental designations, and part of the purpose of this study is to explore these constraints openly”.
Next steps
Community involvement will be central to the project, with five rounds of engagement planned.
The first round of engagement will take place in December 2025 and will focus on awareness-raising and gathering local knowledge. It will include a public drop-in session for the whole community, supported by an online survey.
These activities are designed to capture different perspectives on how coastal flood and erosion risks are managed now and how they could be managed in future. Further details, including the date, time and venue of the December drop-in session, will be released shortly.
