Bournemouth landslide: Specialists now surveying cliff

BCP Council has deployed its coastal erosion experts along with Geotech engineers to work out what next for the damaged cliff. 

Heavy rainfall is believed to be the cause of the landslide on Saturday, October 19, that almost struck a dogwalker. 

Meanwhile, the local authority has placed an even bigger cordon around the cliff than the one put in place after a landslide on October 9. 

Bournemouth's West Cliff (Image: Daily Echo)

Specialists are now looking at the cliff (Image: Daily Echo)

Richard Herrett, cabinet member for destination at BCP Council, said he expects an update on assessments towards the end of the week. 

He said: “Following a visual assessment during the day of the slip, an extended cordon was implemented immediately in the interest of public safety, and special matting has been laid to enable wheeled and disabled access along the prom.  

“This area of cliffside has been inspected by the council’s flood and coastal erosion risk management experts and Geotech engineer.  

“Data gathered today is with our consultants now and we expect an update on these assessments nearer the end of this week, although cliff slip monitoring is an ongoing process. 

“We have been in touch with the licensees of the beach huts and will continue to keep them updated.” 

Goats on the East Cliff

Some had suggested to the Echo that the goats, none of which were injured during the landslide as they were on the East Cliff, may have contributed to the soft terrain on the cliff. 

Residents who spoke to the Echo on the beach suggested by pulling up the roots of the vegetation, the goats would have essentially unsettled the earth, prompting the landslide along with the rain. 

But BCP Council has said this isn’t the case. In fact, the grazing goats are a “long-term, cost effective and viable solution” to help with the management of the cliff. 

The goats reduce the height and weight of vegetation on the cliffs, helping to minimise the chance of cliff slips by eating succulent plants such as the hottentot-fig, or sour fig, which thrive on steep coastal cliffs and can cause erosion.   

Reduced levels of tall shrubs or trees reduce wind loading on the soil.  

And small plants also will grow where the bare soil was, as holm oak (an invasive species that the goats like to eat) shades out earth – all meaning the grazing actually contributes to cliff stability.  

BCP Council’s spokesman added: “The goats have proved popular with residents and visitors and provide a safe, natural and sustainable way of managing the cliffs, helping us to respond locally to the ecological emergency and also internationally to play our part in species recovery.  

“Goats are perfect for this job. Nimble by nature, the animals are very effective at controlling the growth of holm oak, the most harmful of the invasive exotic shrubs and trees on the cliffs.”