Weymouth's Castle Cove Beach access repair gets go-ahead

Safety concerns closed the sloping footpath to Weymouth's Castle Cove Beach in 2013

Campaigners have been told they can re-establish access to a beach on the Jurassic Coast, cut off by a landslide.

The footpath to Castle Cove, Weymouth, was closed in 2013 amid safety fears.

Dorset County Council said a permanent solution to stabilise the cliff was not feasible but the path and steps could be reinstated on a temporary basis.

Friends of Castle Cove Beach said they must also seek agreement from the landowner, Natural England and the Environment Agency.

The Friends fought for the reinstatement of public access to the beach, also known as Sandsfoot Cove, from Old Castle Road.

'End of the beginning'

The council said the Friends would be responsible for replacing the steps if they were destroyed by future landslips.

The 15m (49ft) sloping footpath, which is on private land, was closed after large cracks appeared.

A section of steps at the bottom of the path was taken away by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council when it closed.

Tony Dobbs, of the Friends, said: "[The] verdict means that we can start talking to all the interested parties again. It's not the beginning of the end, but it's the end of the beginning.

"We're sure that we will be able to find a way back to the beach. We just need to be very careful to talk to everyone who has a stake in the beach, especially the landowners, and listen to what they have to say."

The Prince's Trust is donating a team of volunteers to carry out two weeks of repair work.