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Jurassic Coast
Preston Beach Road, Weymouth
The community
Preston Beach Road is a major access route between Weymouth and east Dorset (the Purbeck coast, Poole and Bournemouth) and an important link between Preston, Bowleaze Cove, Overcombe and Weymouth. Overcombe and Bowleaze Cove is an area with substantial homes and flats as well as commercial businesses (shops, beach restaurant and public house), car park and public toilets. Lodmoor RSPB Nature Reserve is a large area of low-lying land located directly behind Preston Beach Road, between Weymouth and Overcombe. It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Coastal defences
Preston Beach Road is currently defended by a sea wall, a rock groyne at the southern end of the road and ongoing beach nourishment schemes. There is also a groyne protecting the Holiday Park and Riviera Hotel at Bowleaze Coveway.
Draft Shoreline Management Plan 2: Policy and Implications
The short and medium term policy (up to 2060) is to continue to ‘Hold the Line' along the Preston Beach Road. However, the long term policy will move towards ‘Managed Realignment'. This means maintenance of the current sea wall and beach nourishment schemes will continue until 2060, after which it will be too technically challenging, expensive and unsustainable to carry this level of coastal defence forward. This will have implications for the maintenance of the road during large storms e.g. breaching of the sea wall, overtopping of seawater onto the road, frequent damage to the road and possible road closures. This will have a knock-on effect to Overcombe, Lodmoor, Preston and Bowleaze Cove in terms of access to Weymouth, as well as implications for businesses which depend on this road for access.
Click here to find out more about the Shoreline Management Plan.
The issues
At some point in the future, there is the possibility that Preston Beach Road could be subject to closure. This would sever an important eastern access route into and out of Weymouth, and expose several hundred houses in Lodmoor to increased risk of tidal flooding. It would also have major implications for traffic management through Preston, Lodmoor and other routes in and out of Weymouth, particularly the Weymouth Relief Road currently under construction. In addition to these traffic issues, there would be an impact on the existing marshland habitats, potential risks to properties and a landfill site.
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Location: Sidmouth lies on the East Devon coast between Branscombe and Budleigh Salterton. It has its own Town Council.
Population: Sidmouth has a population of approximately 14,400, of which 35% are above retirement age.
Designations: Sidmouth is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Location: Charmouth lies on the West Dorset coast between Lyme Regis and Bridport (west of Seatown). It has its own Parish Council.
Population: The parish has a population of 1,300 in 850 residential houses (20% are second homes/holiday homes).
Designations: Charmouth is within Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Location: Seatown lies on the West Dorset coast between Lyme Regis and Bridport (east of Charmouth) and falls within Chideock Parish Council.
Population: The parish has a population of 600 with 36% being over retirement age. Of this population, there are 20 residential address points within Seatown.
Designations: The whole area falls within Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), with some areas designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The whole coast frontage is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).Location: The Preston Beach Road is the main road (A353) connecting Weymouth to Overcombe and Preston. Preston is located North-East of Weymouth, between Broadwey and Osmington and falls within the Weymouth and Portland District Coucil.
Population: Preston has a population of approximately 5,000 with 2,450 residential properties.
Designations: Lodmoor Nature Reserve lies behind the Preston Beach Road and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Bowleaze Cove (north end of Preston Beach Road) is encompassed by a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).Location: Ringstead lies on the Dorset coast between Preston (near Weymouth) and Lulworth, on the boundary between Osmington Parish and Owermoigne Parish.
Population: 580 in Osmington Parish and 490 in Owermoigne Parish. There are 75 residential address points in Ringstead, half of which are caravans.
Designations: The whole area falls within Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), with the sea front designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).Location: Swanage is in The Purbeck, between Durlston and Studland. North Swanage lies North of the Swanage town centre and includes the Ulwell Road area. It lies within Swanage Town Council.
Population: North Swanage and the Ulwell area has a population of 1,640 with approximately 1000 residential properties.
Designations: The whole area falls within Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the coast designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Copyright 2011 Jurassic Coast
Copyright 2011 Jurassic Coast