Westmorland and Furness Council is working with the Our Future Coast project team at West Shore Park in Barrow to develop a strategy to manage and adapt to coastal change.
Funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, of which £5 million has been dedicated towards Coastal projects, the Our Future Coast has aims to plan for and manage coastal flooding and erosion risks across fourteen case study locations in the North West. This includes West Shore Park in Barrow which has received an allocation of £200,000 from this fund.
The council will be working with Our Future Coast, Berkeley Parks and local residents to:
- Stabilise the erosion behind the northern end of the existing rock protection and reduce risk to the park and path.
- Collect data on currents, waves and sand movement to help us plan to the future.
- Speak with residents and the public to understand their ideas and concerns and include these in upcoming studies and strategies.
With the coastline at West Shore Park currently eroding, a plan is needed for the future. A coastal process study will be undertaken, using data being collected by the mobile radar station, and is expected to be complete in autumn this year. This will allow us to understand what can or can’t be achieved to stabilise the coast, and plan for the future of West Shore Park, working with local residents.
Over the next few weeks, the council and Our Future Coast project team will be meeting with residents, the public and local councillors through home visits and open drop-in sessions to hear and understand concerns, thoughts and ideas.
Representatives from the project team will be visiting individual residents this week and this will be followed up with an open drop-in session to the public on Tuesday 6 February at North Scale Community Centre from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
Whilst data collection continues from the radar equipment next to the kite surfing café, the study scope will be developed to incorporate the feedback received.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Cabinet Member for Climate and Biodiversity, said:
“Climate change remains the challenge of our generation and is a real threat to our way of life. We understand the worry and concern that must be felt amongst our residents and communities and are committed to ensuring a plan is in place for the future.
“This study is key to understanding what erosion is happening, how quickly and what we can do to manage it. An important part of this work is working with our project partners to ensure that local residents and the public are involved in conversations to explore how we can adapt to a changing coast. Their feedback will help us to shape and inform future plans and strategies which are environmentally and economically sustainable.”
Anyone with questions or concerns about this project can get in touch by contacting: ourfuturecoastfeedback@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.