The precarious cliffs in front of Warwick’s Grand Atlantic development continue to crumble with or without hurricanes, according to environmentalist David Wingate.Estimating that the shoreline by the development will retreat a metre on average every decade, Dr Wingate said even recent heavy rains could stimulate rockfalls at the site.“I know the falls seem to be on an annual basis there, even without hurricanes to induce them,” he told The Royal Gazette.“I wouldn’t be surprised if a fall occurred in the last few days ­— one thing that can trigger them is a period of heavy rain, and we’ve had a lot of rain this August. It can dissolve the calcium carbonate, and the water adds to the weight on the rock.”The strength of the limestone along the South Shore cliffs varies from point to point, he said, but the white areas of the cliff show where the softer rock keeps crumbling.Dr Wingate estimated a roughly three-foot retreat of the cliffs every ten years, on average, for the Grand Atlantic area.The retaining wall along the cliff bottom can hold back “slumping at the base”, Dr Wingate said, but can’t stop the cliff above from crumbling.Area resident Russel Eddy said: “Big hunks of rock come down on a regular basis there, just because the cliff itself is unstable. You don’t even need a storm to make it come down. It’s falling down at the top as well — you can see the areas where the cliff is very light, where there is a recent fall.”The condition of the shoreline at Grand Atlantic has proven controversial since the announcement of development plans for the area.However, Grand Atlantic developer Gilbert Lopes has repeatedly defended the build, saying recommendations from a geological survey of the shoreline were followed during construction of the housing complex.