Cliff path safety work in Sidmouth has hit a wall after town and district councillors locked horns over the best way to tackle Millennium Walkway repairs without resorting to spraying concrete, or keeping the area and part of the beach closed for the summer
Essential cliff works in Sidmouth could be put on hold for a year despite fears that it could impact the tourist season, writes local democracy reporter Alison Stephenson.
A large crack in the retaining wall above the Millennium Walkway has meant that the path which leads towards Jacobs Ladder beach has been closed to protect the public.
A cliff‑top path within Connaught Gardens, near the Glasshouse, is also closed for safety reasons.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) cabinet was due to consider a report recommending it approve £500,000 for cliff works to make the area safe on Wednesday night (June 3) but plans changed after the issue became more controversial.
An option which involved using sprayed concrete to strengthen the existing wall met with outrage from members of Sidmouth Town Council this week as they said it would change the wall’s appearance. Neither were they happy about other options being proposed or being asked by EDDC for financial support towards work at Connaught Gardens.
Cabinet members have now decided to get a working party set up between the two councils to find a long-term suitable solution while the area is fenced off and increase security including CCTV so no-one tries to access the site.
It means that the walkway could be closed for the summer unless the council can fund safety decking within budget to allow the path to reopen for the season.
Cllr Ian Barlow (Ind, Sidmouth Town) told the cabinet meeting on Wednesday it felt as if Sidmouth was “under attack” right now especially in the Jacob’s Ladder area.
The ladder – a historical wooden staircase down to the beach – had to be closed largely due to urgent repairs being required to the stone platform that the ladder connects to, and the nearby seawall and slipway, and the Millennium Walkway had been closed since March.
He said that what with the beach huts upgrade – where old timber structures are being replaced with modular huts – being delayed by more than two months sections of the beach were hard to access.
“Why not take the wall down now and net the top and open up the walkway so people can walk along there and use the beach. It has to come down anyway and needs to be made safe, it’s not safe at the moment.”
He warned that the council might have to “close the beach”.
But council leader Paul Arnott (Lib Dem, Coly Valley) said he rejected Cllr Barlow’s “Farage-ian tone” of Sidmouth being under attack. “Of course it’s not,” he said.
“What I am picking up is a Jeremiah tirade here that Sidmouth’s tourist economy is going to be ruined.
“Two massive areas of beach will be totally opened, easily accessed and although it is incredibly undesirable that the walkway is shut this summer, I do not see what else you can do about it.
“Sidmouth Town Council obviously don’t want the concrete option, it’s all over the papers today.”
He said that “rather than throwing public money away on temporary bodges with bits of netting we accept the reality that the tourism economy will not be affected and make sure that the area that is a fall risk on the beach is cordoned off.”
Engineering projects manager Tom Buxton Smith explained that if they removed the wall it would eat into the costs and all the material that was taken out would need to be transported back to refill the wall at a later date.
It would also cause distribution to the event schedule for Connaught Gardens and reduce amenity for residents.
Due to the wall being in a conservation area, the council was told that spray concrete was no longer an option anyway.
Outlining the next steps at Jacob’s Ladder and Sidmouth Millennium Walkway, EDDC said:
- Connaught Cobblestone Wall: Options include treating the wall with spray concrete, to last 75 years. Remove the wall, regrade the slope into Connaught Gardens.
- To honour scheduled events in Connaught Gardens.
- Further investigations and public consultation planned for ‘best value’.
- Work to start in 2027, to open in summer.
- Increased CCTV around closed cliff path.
- EDDC and Sidmouth Town Council to form working group
- Update in October 2026, to consider funding in EDDC 2027-28 budget.
- Beach huts: installation at Jacob’s Ladder to start end of June 2026, for end of July occupancy.
- Seawall and slipway: Patch repairs and removal of exposed reinforcing bar in June 2026
- Precast solution work expected to start in off-peak season.
- Railings: Replacement work started on June 3. Temporary fence removal to follow.
- Jacobs Ladder structure: Full replacement likely. Waiting on specialist advice, survey results and cost estimates, plus listed building consent. Work to be carried out in off-peak season when beach huts are unoccupied.
- Kiosk steps: Waiting on designs before tender is issued.
- A tender will be issued when design work has been completed.
Additional reporting: Becca Gliddon.
