Agenda and draft minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 26 March 2026 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest.

There were none.

Information on public speaking is available online.

No members of the public had registered to speak at the meeting.

Information on matters of urgency is available online.

There were no matters of urgency.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including press) have been excluded. There are no items that officers recommend should be dealt with in this way.

There were no confidential/exempt items.

The Chair welcomed Mr Sam Scriven, World Heritage Site Principal Officer (Dorset Council) to the meeting.  Mr Scriven presented this report which detailed the governance and management arrangements for the World Heritage Site (WHS). 

It was reported that since the Jurassic Coast Trust closed in January 2025, responsibility for managing the WHS had returned to Dorset Council and Devon County Council, with good progress made on re-establishing governance, drafting a new management plan, recruiting a new World Heritage Officer, and developing a new website. Ongoing conservation and stakeholder work had also continued successfully, including the innovative Jurassic Coast Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Mitigation Study, while 2026’s 25th anniversary celebrations were helping to engage communities and partners through a wide range of events and new outreach activity.

The Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Sport, Culture and Tourism commented on the importance of the WHS to East Devon, attracting tourism and generating business in the district. 

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·         At present, the costs are apportioned on a two-thirds basis to Dorset Council and one-third to Devon County Council, reflecting the geographical distribution of the site, with approximately two-thirds located in Dorset and one-third in Devon.

·         The WHS does not have statutory protection in its own right, and protection relies on existing legislation for National Landscapes and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

·         The new iteration of the Management Plan is the first test of the new management system that is in place.

·         Landslides and rockslides are hazards which need to be carefully managed given their implications for infrastructure and loss of land.  At the same time, the dynamic process of coastal erosion is what makes the coastline so special since it is continually refreshing itself, and the coastline’s natural beauty has value in its own right and for the economy, drawing people to the area. 

·         Communities are encouraged to take ownership of the WHS as an asset which can be utilised in a way that is sustainable.  The geological processes are robust and not as sensitive to impact from tourism as wildlife sites, but visitor pressures and litter etc can ruin the visitor experience.

·         2026 is the 25^th anniversary of the WHS and the whole year is being treated as the anniversary year. Ideas are encouraged for events that people want to link with the celebration.

·         Webpages about the WHS are hosted by the Dorset Coast Forum whilst the WHS’s official website is under construction.

·         World Heritage UK does a lot of work to research the benefits of world heritage and to lobby government, representing all WHSs in the UK.  There is also an all-party parliamentary group for World Heritage.  Additionally, Natural England is working with the UK National Commission for UNESCO, which is doing a lot of work to gather together the different UNESCO sites including WHSs, geoparks, biospheres and Cities of Culture, all of which Devon has and which helps to get the UNESCO brand better recognised by government.

·         EDDC promotes the WHS through  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Democratic Services Officer read out a briefing note prepared by the Democratic Services Manager which provided an update on the implementation of the Council’s online petition scheme. 

Members asked that communications were put out to highlight that the e-petition platform was now available on the Council’s website for public use. 

i)              To receive the Overview Committee Work Programme 2026 – 2027

ii)             To consider the Cabinet Forward Plan; would the Committee wish to receive a report on key decisions prior to Cabinet?

The Committee received and noted the work programme 2026 – 2027.