11 January 2011 Last updated at 06:52 ET

Dorset Jurassic Coast beach valued at £1

The council said the beach did not generate any income but had associated costs

A beauty spot beach on Dorset's World Heritage Jurassic Coast has been listed by a council as being worth £1.

Eype Beach, near Bridport, was listed by owner West Dorset District Council to be "offered on the open market" in an asset management plan.

The Conservative-run council's leader Robert Gould said the beach was not yet for sale but advice was being taken.

He said the beach did not generate income but had associated costs so was recorded with a "nominal value of £1".

Mr Gould said: "This land was acquired by the local council many years ago in order to protect it against gravel extraction.

"The land is not being sold at the moment, but we will be taking specialist advice before deciding how to proceed."

He said it was "good practice" for public organisations to regularly review the assets they hold on behalf of the public.

"Eype beach does not currently provide an income to the council, but the land has associated management costs and legal liabilities," he continued.

"This is why a nominal value of £1 has been recorded in the council's asset management plan.

"Clearly this is not an indication of what a buyer may expect to pay for the land - it is a nominal figure only."

He described the beach as "a popular beauty spot" and said if the council did decide to sell it "would want to ensure future public access and responsible management of this important land".