The Jurassic Coast is renowned for its fossils

Devon and Dorset county councillors hope future plans to cope will be supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Tourist businesses along the coast have also been gearing up for an increase in visitors.

The 95-mile (150-kilometre) stretch of shore was granted World Heritage Site status in December by Unesco, the United Nations' cultural body.

Dinosaur finds

It is the only natural heritage site on the British mainland to be recognised by Unesco - joining the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and the Scottish island of St Kilda.

It yields a steady flow of dinosaur remains, including previously unknown species.

The coast is acclaimed for its geological variety

The coast also includes nine areas considered internationally significant by geologists.

It is considered to be the only place in the world displaying unbroken evidence of 185 million years of evolution.

Dinosaur footprints are found among the spectacular limestone coves and headlands of Purbeck and the Isle of Portland.

Devon's red sandstone cliffs include important Triassic sites at Ladram Bay and Sidmouth.

On the imposing cliffs of the Devon-Dorset border, around Lyme Regis and Charmouth, several layers of geological history are clearly visible.