RESIDENTS of a chalet park threatened by coastal erosion fear a town hall bid for a government sea defences grant has failed.

But Barrow Borough Council says that although its application for cash to build permanent sea defences to provide the 500-chalet West Shore Park from storm tides and erosion has failed, it will make another one next year.

Chalet owner Norman Lumb, who has lived at West Shore Park for seven years with his wife Patricia, is on a stretch of the park not protected by a temporary sea wall.

He said: “It is very worrying because we were under the impression something was going to be done this year.

“We are very happy living here but we have seen the deterioration caused by the sea and it is worrying people,”

More than 2,000 people have so far signed a petition put together by West Shore residents demanding permanent protection from the sea, which is still eating under the road in front of the chalets in the unprotected part.

The council paid £25,000 for a temporary rock barrier to be laid last year but it only stretches for half the length of the chalet park frontage and is only designed to last a year.

Some of its boulders have already been tossed about by the sea, but residents living behind it say it has made their lives better and lessened the threat from the sea.

Many retired and elderly people are among those living on the park.

Barrow Borough Council made the bid for grant aid this year, to pay for permanent defences in front of West Shore Park, to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

The council’s director of regeneration, Phil Huck, will tell councillors at the town hall executive committee next Wednesday that the temporary defences are being monitored and in the event of a collapse caused by the sea repairs, would have to be considered.

But in his report he says the temporary barrier only had a design life of a year.

His report says: “Although there has been movement of some blocks, particularly around the slipway, the defence is holding up well.”

He said the failed bid for a grant for permanent defences had only been a provisional one because the deadline had coincided with a report to the council from consultants Capita on the options for defending West Shore. A more detailed bid for aid which should score better will now be made next year instead.