The Problem: A Town Under Threat
Lyme Regis might look like a picture-perfect seaside town, but it's actually sitting on a geological time bomb. This coastal erosion hotspot on England's south coast swells from 4,000 residents to 15,000 during peak summer months.
The tourism industry is absolutely vital here - visitors spend £41.9 million annually and support 880 jobs. But there's a serious problem: the town sits on actively eroding coastline that's prone to dangerous landslips and cliff collapses.
Without intervention, experts predicted disaster. Over 480 houses, the main car park, and crucial infrastructure would be lost to the sea within 50 years. The sea wall was failing, and heavy rainfall was making the unstable cliffs even more dangerous.
Quick Fact: Tourism brings in nearly £42 million yearly to Lyme Regis - that's over £10,000 per permanent resident!
