COUNCIL chiefs are being urged to remove tonnes of boulders from Chesil Beach as Portland residents claim they are being washed into the sea.

The boulders, which were put in place on the pebbles on Saturday, are set to be used as part of emergency, temporary sea defence repairs following weeks of severe storms.

Portlanders hit out at local authorities earlier this week for the lack of information given about what the big rocks would be used for.

At first, they feared the boulders would be used to concrete an area below Quiddles Café.

Islanders said they woke yesterday to find some of the boulders were in the water creating large waves, due to the Spring tide.


Storm Wallace, environmental campaigner, said: “The boulders have washed into the sea- it is ridiculous.

“They clearly didn't check the spring tide table.

“The boulders need moving as soon as possible- the wave they created last night was huge.

“The rise of the swell last night would never cause a wave like that so proves these boulders need moving.”

Izzy Imset, of diving group Underwater Explorers and Chesil Beach Watch, said: “At high water the sea is up against the boulders, the waves translating tonnes of energy and crashing straight into them.

“Yesterday, we saw some of the boulders being buried, others being drawn into the sea and tossed around like coins.

“These people have to work around ‘tidal windows’ which actually allow them to use that section of the beach because anything dug up or moved is bound to be covered with the next high water, especially if there is swell and waves.”

But the Environment Agency, which is carrying out work on behalf of the borough council, said there’s nothing that can be done.

A spokesman said: “Short of removing the boulders from the beach before every high tide, there’s not a lot that can be done as they are already well up the beach.

“It is simply a case of the sea moving closer to the boulder with each high tide and not, as has been suggested, the boulders moving into the sea.”

The boulders, which come from Portland quarry, weigh between three and six tonnes.

The borough council refused to comment on the issue and said the Environment Agency were leading the works on Chesil Beach.

THE Environment Agency revealed the purpose of the Chesil Beach boulders on Wednesday.

A spokesman said: “The rock which has been delivered to site will be used to create a temporary access to allow the repairs to go ahead.

“The rock may be used to protect the repairs from attack by future severe storms, buried beneath the shingle which continues to make its way back into the beach.

“The precise configuration of rock beneath the sea wall is under technical review whilst the piling and concrete repairs are being progressed as a matter of some urgency.”

The Environment Agency's contractor is carrying out emergency coastal defence work to the sea wall at Chesil Cove, which was undermined during recent storms, on behalf of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.