THE county council is trying to secure the future of a gun range which employs 82 people.

Fears are growing for the future of Eskmeals Gun Range as its only access road faces being washed away by the sea.

Cumbria County Council has vowed to step in and write to the Ministry of Defence, which owns the gun range; Copeland Borough Council, in charge of preventing coastal erosion; and the Environment Agency, to request funding to install sea defences or move the affected stretch of road before any damage can be caused.

The decision to act was made at a county council meeting on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the county council said: “The decision that was made was in line with the recommendation. A letter will be written to Copeland Borough Council and the MoD and the Environment Agency too see whether there is funding.”

The council says it has no plans to fund the preventative project itself but it feels strongly enough to step in and push the relevant organisations.

The road, off the A595 near Bootle, has hit problems in the past and was blocked by tidal-borne debris following severe storms in 2002.

Consultants have now drawn up options to protect the route including rock armour, building a concrete sea wall and diverting the road.

As part of the government’s Shoreline Management Plan Copeland Borough Council has a policy of “no active intervention” regarding the section of road.

The gun range is owned by the MoD but run by a company called QinetiQ.

A Copeland Borough Council spokesman said it would be cheaper to build a new road rather than protect the old one.

He said: “A Copeland Borough Council study, commissioned with Cumbria County Council and Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in 2002, showed that relocating the road was the most cost effective option to address the problem.

“We do not believe this position has changed and this view is supported by the current Shoreline Management Plan for the area, along with the draft of the new Shoreline Management Plan – which is currently being consulted on.

“We strongly believe that joint working between ourselves, Cumbria County Council, Defra and the MoD/QuinetiQ is the only way we can solve these problems.

“We have specific responsibilities as the coast protection authority, as do Cumbria County Council as the highways authority.”

The Environment Agency’s flood and coastal risk programme manager Jeff Lawrenson said: “We have not received a letter yet.

“However, we are currently working with the North West England and North Wales Coastal Group, the local authority, and others, to develop a shoreline management plan for the area.”

The MoD was unavailable for comment.

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