Landslip hit Bournemouth cliff lift 'will not reopen for two years'

A section of the cliff fell away in the early hours of 24 April 2016

An Edwardian cliff railway that was damaged during a landslip in Bournemouth will not reopen for at least two years, a council has said.

Rubble fell down the 30m-high (100ft) rock face in East Cliff last April.

The carriages of the funicular railway - known as East Cliff Lift - were partially engulfed by the landslip, crushing a block of toilets.

Clear-up work has been carried out and inspections are due to take place ahead of repairs.

Bournemouth Borough Council said 100 rock-filled wire cages, with a total weight of 140 tonnes (140,000 kg), have been removed from the area, and matting has been fitted to the exposed cliff face as protection from wind and rain.

"Over the next two weeks specialist rope access teams will be descending from the cliff top to undertake detailed inspections of its condition, together with some minor repairs to the protective matting," said Larry Austin, the council's director of environment.

"These inspections will help to establish the scale of works to repair the cliff, costs for which are likely to be significant and will be undertaken within an area designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)."

The lift and toilets "are not expected to be reinstated for at least a further two years", the authority added. The area remains fenced off.

East Cliff Lift, an Edwardian funicular railway, was damaged during the slip