WALNEY residents whose homes are at risk of being washed into the sea have been snubbed by a government minister.

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock has now pledged to sit down with residents and town hall officials to consider the options after Richard Benyon refused his request to meet a local delegation to discuss the issue.

Mr Woodcock said: “The problem of coastal erosion at Earnse Bay is of pressing concern.

“Bit-by-bit the coastline is crumbling into the sea and this is causing alarm among residents of the West Shore Park site.

“I wrote to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs minister Richard Benyon in November asking him to meet us.

“He has declined that invitation, which I find disappointing given the serious nature of this issue and I feel sure that residents of north Walney will be frustrated by his decision. I had hoped that the meeting would go some way towards putting people’s minds at ease and sorting out the problem, but we are back where we were.

“I will be contacting residents and borough council officials so we can talk about options – such as exploring new ways of securing funding to build better sea defences.”

In his letter to Mr Woodcock the minister said he had no direct influence on the choice of projects that are granted funding.

Over recent years tidal erosion has affected many parts of the Furness coastline, with the Earnse Bay foreshore problem being particularly acute. Barrow Borough Council is the authority responsible for coastal protection.

It has made a number of applications to the Environment Agency seeking support to tackle the Earnse Bay erosion issue, as yet without success.

A Defra spokesman said: “Defra has no direct influence on which coastal erosion projects are allocated funding.

“The Environment Agency, which takes these decisions, has offered to meet with John Woodcock at his earliest convenience.”

Story in the North West Evening Mail