The cost of restoring Southend's cliffs has rocketed to around £40million with no hope of funding in the forseeable future.
Acting town clerk David Andrews told the Southend Business and Tourism Partnership: "The cliffs are still a major problem for the council. I estimate the costs are continuing to spiral."
He reckoned the cost was now about £40million, compared to an estimate of £35million last year.
The council is currently ambarking on a series of tough budget cuts and has ruled out repairing the cliffs from its own coffers.
Seafront traders are dreading another year blighted by the slippage, which has marred one of the town's best tourist attractions.
Seafront parking spaces have also reduced as a result of masses of earth slipping down to Western Esplanade, Westcliff.
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