Funding cut hits Jurassic centres

The Jurassic Coast stretches along 100 miles of Devon and Dorset

Plans to create two visitors' centres along the Jurassic Coast in east Devon have been hit by a cut in funding.

The South West Regional Development Agency said it had to re-evaluate its plans and could no longer contribute �3m to the Seaton and Exmouth projects.

The agency said its budget had been cut because the government was trying to meet other priorities.

East Devon District Council said it was "determined" to try to find a way to forge ahead with improvement projects.

We are living in an economic downturn and we cannot expect to be immune from pressures on funding Ray Franklin East Devon District Council

The planned centres were part of the Jurassic Coast Framework Programme, a joint initiative with Dorset to draw more visitors to the World Heritage Site.

Councillor Ray Franklin, portfolio holder for strategic planning and regeneration, said the council understood the position the South West Regional Development Agency was in.

"We are living in an economic downturn and we cannot expect to be immune from pressures on funding that are happening not just in East Devon but frankly all over the world."

He added: "This setback will not diminish our enthusiasm for continuing with regeneration work in both these towns.

"We will have to be even more creative with the funding options open to us from the private sector and other cash sources."

The Jurassic Coast is a 100-mile (161km) area between Exmouth and Swanage.

It is considered to be the only place in the world which displays unbroken evidence of 185 million years of evolution through its visible fossil remains.

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