Budleigh Salterton Beach & Cliff Management Plan 2025-2027

Developing long-term, sustainable management policies for the area's beaches and cliffs, looking at practical ways to adapt to the challenges of a changing coastline while preserving the area's natural character

We are developing a sustainable approach to managing the risk of coastal flood and erosion at Budleigh Salterton and the wider sediment system over the short and long-term.

The plan will balance legal, environmental, social, technical and economic considerations, as well as acknowledging the internationally designated environmental interests of the area. It is unlikely that solutions will be identified to stop coastal erosion along the full length of the management plan area, so adaptation will need to be considered if the plan’s options can only slow the rate of erosion.

Have your say

In our first phase of engagement we will be collecting local knowledge and information about the area. In addition we aim to understand the issues and concerns people may have in relation to coastal flood & erosion risks and how they may be managed in future.

Share your views by completing an online survey available from 5 December – 16 January 2026 at Budleigh Salterton Beach and Cliff Management Plan survey

 

Understanding processes which drive coastal change

The ways in which tides, currents, waves and sediment interact around the shoreline drive beach change. Cliff erosion at Budleigh Salterton is caused by a combination of:

1. Wave action eroding the base of the cliff,
2. Weathering and the effects of rainfall and/or failed drainage systems on the cliff face and in the upper parts of the cliffs
3. Naturally occurring sub-vertical joints creating planes of weakness in the rock

At Budleigh Salterton, erosion of sediment from cliffs to the west of the town is transported eastwards towards the Otter Estuary. Our coastal monitoring data from 2014-2016, shows the position of the eroding beach and accreting beach appears to have migrated eastwards.

Understanding how the beach behaves, and how it may respond in the future to storms and longer-term sea level rise, is an important consideration for how the area is managed in the future. Working with the natural processes is the best way to provide a sustainable approach to managing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding and it also supports the environmental designations in the area.

Recent cliff falls and growing risks

In recent years the risk to the coast path in the western section of Budleigh Salterton has been seen. This area, covered by SMP policy unit 6a42, has experienced lower beach levels in recent years compared to the past. This has seemingly coincided with an increased number of cliff falls which, in turn, has started to impact cliff top infrastructure including damage to amenity assets and loss of part of the South West Coast Path. The path will need to be diverted inland in the near future, and this could have impacts on the local economy. The cliff top erosion is now starting to pose a more immediate risk to cliff to properties which poses a concern for the wellbeing of residents and the wider community.

This erosion is occurring sooner than foreseen in the SMP – meaning the SMP assessment of risk is in need of review – and there is a need to undertake a detailed investigation to assess the current situation and nature of the risks in order to guide future risk management decisions.

Policies in the Shoreline Management Plan

We will use the policies set out in the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), adopted in 2011 as a starting point. They set out the long-term vision and policies for sustainable coastal flood and erosion risk management and include:

• 6A39 (Otter Estuary): The policy is for Managed Realignment, as has been implemented recently through the Lower Otter Restoration Project completed in 2023.
• 6A40 (Otter Estuary Spit): The policy for the spit across the estuary mouth is to maintain a non-interventional or No Active Intervention approach to allow natural coastal evolution to continue. This will support objectives for the area’s internationally important conservation and landscape designations. This rollback will pose a challenge for how the transition to the adjacent defended section will be managed.
• 6A41 (Budleigh Salterton): The policy is to Hold the Line of defence though maintenance and eventual improvement of defences.
• 6A42 (Budleigh Salterton West to Straight Point): The policy along this unit is No Active Intervention because the ongoing erosion of the cliffs is vital to continuing to supply natural, local beach sediment that benefits policy unit 6a41. It also allows natural coastal evolution to continue which supports objectives for the area’s internationally important conservation and landscape designations. Consequently, cliff top property and infrastructure is predicted to be lost to coastal erosion over time. Given this, the SMP recommends developing a coastal adaptation plan for this area.

The boundaries of the four areas listed above have been set based on analysis of coastal processes and the character of the shoreline. Further details about the management approach to each is available a the Environment Agency’s SMP website Otterton Ledge to Straight Point | SMP Explorer

Developing the Budleigh Salterton Beach & Cliff Management Plan

We are taking a staged approach to the development of the Beach & Cliff Management Plan (BCMP); we are currently at Stage 2:

Project funding

The estimated cost to deliver the plan over the next 2 years (from April 2025 to March 2027) is £195,000:

• £165,000 from Local Levy from the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
• £30,000 from East Devon District Council