West Bay Beach Access
Project Updates
December 2022
The Dorset Coastal Connections project is pleased to have been able to fund the beach matting for the West Bay Wheelchair Scheme. Bridport Town Council laid the beach matting in August to make the beach more accessible to people with disabilities.
See this Bridport & Lyme Regis News Article to find out more.
July 2021
We are pleased to share that Dorset Council has completed the final element to the improvements of the access to the disabled toilet next to the beach by the Watch House Café. The top surface layer to the footpath has now been laid completing the resurfacing and improvements to the ramp leading up to the disabled toilet.
January 2021
Improvement works are now underway following delays due to Covid-19. Surface aggregates have been selected and works to resurface the access along side the West Bay Discovery Centre to the toilets started on schedule in January.
January 2020
The Beach Access project has been altered and the Coastal Community Fund allocated to the East Beach Access will be reinvested to improve access to the disabled toilet next to the beach by the Watch House Café.
Improvements will include resurfacing a section of the access along side the West Bay Discovery Centre to the toilets, where the ramp leading up to the disabled toilet will be widened and made more suitable for disabled access. These improvement works will be led by Bridport Town Council and works are expected to take place late Spring 2020.
Photos of the access leading to the disabled toilet and the ramp/entrance to the toilet prior to improvement works
Included in the Beach and Shared Accesses projects a detailed review of the interpretation, orientation and safety signage at the key points in West Bay will take place. The aim of this review is to replace current multiple signs with a more cohesive approach with new improved attractive signage that will encourage visitors to stop and read about to learn about West Bay and how to keep safe during their visit.
October 2019
With the West Bay coastal defence improvement works now complete, Environment Agency engineers have reviewed the feasibility of the East Beach access project. Unfortunately, having researched the possible solutions, and alternatives, thoroughly, we have had to decide that an appropriate, safe-to-use design for the proposed boardwalk at East Beach is not feasible or affordable. Therefore, the project to build a boardwalk at East Beach will not going ahead.
Thank you to the Environment Agency and artist, Michael Pinsky for creating designs and looking into the engineering solutions to try make this work, however, due to the steep and unstable nature of the shingle bank at East Beach it is not possible to create a safe, DDA compliant boardwalk within the available budget.
East Beach Access Community Consultation
The community consultation was well attended in July 2018 with lots of comments from West Bay residents, visitors, local businesses - thank you to those who provided a comment. All the feedback given has now been collated and reviewed by the project team, and is helping to shape the development of the East Beach Access design.
The consultation feedback report can be viewed here and the project team's responses to key areas of concern highlighted in the consultation can be viewed here.
Project Background
The East Beach Access project will provide a defined access route up onto the steep shingle bank from East Beach car park, West Bay. It is anticipated that the access will be in the form of a board walk type structure to a viewing platform on the beach, which will improve access for everyone, especially for those with walking difficulties, in wheelchairs or with pram or push chairs. The access will guide people away from walking directly under the cliff and will provide clearer safety information to help people enjoy the coast safely.
Improving the access to East Beach at West Bay was part of the ‘Coastal Connections - people and places’ bid to the Coastal Communities Fund, and will receive £32,000 towards its costs from this successful bid, granted in April 2017. The remainder of the funding, around £11,000 is being provided by the Environment Agency, who are the project partner leading on the construction of this project.
Following the initial community consultation events held in July & August 2017 the East Beach Access project has been positively received by the community. Both residents and visitors to West Bay highlighted a strong view to introduce a simple, natural timber boardwalk to the viewing platform, with clearer safety signage and information about the local coastline.
Artist, Michael Pinsky has been working collaboratively with the Environment Agency in designing the concept for the East Beach Access, that will fit in with the culture and heritage of West Bay.
