Project updates

Options Appraisal Stages have commenced

Following Engagement Round 2, the project has started the options appraisal stage.

The start point for this has been to identify a range of long-list options for how the risks identified in the baseline assessment may be managed over the next 100 years, a process that has included workshops with stakeholders representing different viewpoints from within the community and from statutory consultees. 

The project team are now screening these long-list options against a range of criteria to produce a short-list of the most viable options to assess in greater detail. This screening includes considering factors such as likely cost, technical performance and environmental impacts. 

Once the draft short-list has been prepared, we will be undertaking a further round of engagement to show the assessment from long-list to short-list. The engagement is expected to occur later in 2025. 

Engagement Round 2 Spring 2025

Engagement Round 2 will present the findings of detailed analysis and assessments of the physical processes in the area, how they interact with built structures and how they may respond to climate change. We are seeking local knowledge and feedback on these assessments, as well as any additional information that may influence these findings.

Engagement Round 2 has now concluded. A summary report for this period can be found here: Engagement Summary Round 2

Community Engagement March to April 2025

Dorset Coast Forum will be hosting two in-person drop-in events and an online presentation, where the baseline understanding and findings will be presented and members of the project team are available to answer questions. 

The engagement event details are below: 

In-person drop-in event: Wednesday 19th March, 2:30pm to 5:30pm at Portland Community Venue, Three Yards Close, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1JN. 

In-person drop-in event: Tuesday 25th March, 2:30 to 7pm at Wyke Regis Working Men’s Club, 56 Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9AB.

Online event: Tuesday 1st April, 7 to 8pm. Registration details to follow

Chesil Cove Outdoor Classroom Day January 2025

Dorset Coast Forum visited Year 6 and Year 10 students at the Atlantic Academy, Portland. Due to the weather it was a mixture of indoor and outdoor classroom day with a range of activities covering coastal management. A tour of the coastal defences at Chesil Cove, Portland took place in the classroom using Google Earth. The highlight of the day being the wave tank demonstrating how different flood defences work. A quick tour of the Great Gale 1824 exhibition showing the impact of an extraordinary storm 200 years ago in Portland and throughout the Dorset coast helped us to consider how coastal defences now help protect our coasts and communities.

Engagement Round 1 Autumn 2023

During Engagement Round 1, local residents and stakeholders provided us with essential data/local knowledge of the area. Thank you to everyone who took part.
The team are working on technical modelling work which will continue throughout 2024. A summary of Engagement Round 1 can be found here: https://www.dorsetcoasthaveyoursay.co.uk/25244/widgets/71366/documents/55670