New landslides along Southlands beach have prompted fresh calls for the area to be given full national park protection.

The stretch of coastline in Warwick has long been subject to wave and wind erosion prompting parts of the cliff to collapse.

In the past few weeks a significant part of the cliff face close to the entrance to Southlands beach collapsed during bad weather.

The latest example of coastal erosion had sparked fresh calls from the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce for the beauty spot to be afforded the full protection that comes with official national park status.

“This event does remind us of the long-overdue induction of Southlands into the national parks system,” said BEST chairman Stuart Hayward.

“We were told the holdup was a management plan for the park but I understand that the management plan has been completed so there should be no obstacle to a timely formalising of Southlands as a park.

“The public saved Southlands from development and deserves to see the park protected from future development schemes.

“Remedial work on the Southlands coastline, as well as within the parkland to buildings and vegetation is likely to be limited while Southlands remains in limbo.”

Although the Southlands Morgans Point land-swap agreement took place over two years ago Southlands has still yet to receive official national park status. At the start of this year Government said the Department of Parks was viewing several options for Southlands with a view to putting the options to the National Parks Commission for review.

The statement added: “Once the design options are drafted and forwarded to the Minister for consultation they are sent to the National Parks Commission for their review.

“After the National Parks Commission reviews the options, the management plan is then presented to the public.

“It is our intention to have Cabinet Office approve the Southlands Management Plan in the first half of this year.”

Mr Hayward explained that large stretches of South Shore were vulnerable to erosion, which was exacerbated during heavy rainfall, high winds and increased wave action.

He said: “We can expect wave-related erosion to increase along with rising ocean levels, whether the rise is due to localised events such as the recent warm-water eddy spun off from the Gulf Stream or due to macro events associated with climate change.

“Heightened acidity of ocean- and rainwater, linked to elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, along with increased intensity of rain and ocean events will predictably add to overall erosion — coastal and inland.”