The project team managing the Cobb Stabilisation Scheme are exploring additional funding options as rising inflation has meant there is a need to add to the £3million budget.
The latest phase of the wider Lyme Regis Environmental Improvement Scheme aims to reinforce and repair the Cobb, a historic harbour which also acts as a breakwater and protects the Lyme Bay area from coastal erosion and flooding.
Sea-floor erosion, combined with the movement of stone blocks due to wave impact on the outer harbour wall and the deterioration of the structure on the inner harbour wall, has caused significant destabilisation of the structure in recent years.
The original scheme was budgeted for £3 million, of which the Environment Agency has provided £2.5million and Dorset Council £500k to fund the stabilisation of the Grade One Listed harbour.
However, due to inflation and the rising costs of construction works, the budget is no longer sufficient to carry out the works as originally planned. It is now expected that the scheme will cost at least £4.5million.
The project team are drawing up a range of additional funding options, and Dorset Council and its partners remain committed to delivering the project – with several viable funding options on the horizon. It is not known at this present stage whether this will mean a delay to the project or a reduced scope.
The Cobb itself is being routinely monitored by the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) team and the Harbours team for signs of storm damage.
Currently there is no additional risk to the public or businesses operating on the Cobb.
