Undercliff walkway in Sidmouth remains closed after a cliff fall

On Sunday 27 March a small cliff fall occurred on a popular Sidmouth walkway and it remains closed to the public.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) have decided that the walkway, which connects the promenade with Jacob's Ladder, will remain closed until the council can be sure there is no further risk to members of the public.

There we no injuries reported. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) were notified of the incident by the police and they attended the scene and sealed off the walkway.

Initial assessments have indicated the fall was caused by the wet winter combined with the unseasonably hot and dry conditions experienced last week.

It is thought that this combination could have weakened the cliff joint through shrinkage and expansion of the rock material, causing the fall.

The Sidmouth cliffs are subject to annual inspections supervised by EDDC's Engineering Geologist. He visited the cliff on Monday and identified an area adjacent to the cliff fall as being at risk of falling.

The most recent assessment of Sidmouth's cliffs took place on March 8. However, as this week's cliff fall was the result of an internal joint failure, the risk wouldn't have been visible to the inspectors as it was not exposed.

The walkway will remain closed until the council's engineering team has organised a rope access contractor to attend site, undertake an inspection of the area surrounding the recent fall and remove any material that continues to present a risk.

Residents and visitors are asked to respect the closure and keep a safe distance. In addition, people who wish to access Jacob's Ladder via the beach should be aware of incoming tides which may cut you off.

Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council's portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment said: "The cliffs above the walkway are inspected every single year by specialists.

"Securing bolts, many metres long, wire restraining mess, and other safety measures are used to ensure people walking on the walkway will be safe.

"It's very unfortunate that we have had to close this footway, but safety is paramount."