WALNEY stalwarts have dismissed claims the island has lost 100 metres of its coastline in 30 years as “rubbish”.

John Murphy has dedicated his life to studying local nature and history.

While he does not deny that parts of Walney, Piel Island and other areas along the shoreline are suffering from erosion, he refuses to believe Walney has lost 100 metres of its coastline in the last 30 years. (more…)

A village and more than 1,000 acres of land would be lost to the sea if plans laid out in a blueprint for tackling erosion in Suffolk are accepted.

The Environment Agency’s Shoreline Management Plan calls for the continued defence of major towns and villages from flooding and coastal erosion.

But it also says over the next 30 to 40 years the village of Covehithe will be surrendered to the sea. (more…)

A SMALL community has told of its determination to protect its homes against coastal erosion after learning it is set to be abandoned to the ravages of the North Sea.

Residents in the tiny hamlet of Covehithe, just north of Southwold, face an uncertain future if Suffolk’s Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) is given the green light.

The scheme has been drawn up to suggest how flood and erosion risk should be tackled along the coast from Lowestoft Ness to Languard Point in Felixstowe.

At Covehithe it recommends a policy of “no active intervention” for the next century – meaning that within 30 to 40 years the entire hamlet, including homes, the historic 15th century church and important conservation areas, will be lost. (more…)

BUSINESSES and landowners are among those being given a say in the future of The Wash coastline between Wolferton Creek and South Hunstanton.

The newly formed key stakeholders sub-group is a partnership set up between the Environment Agency and West Norfolk Council to represent the interests of the local community and tourism.

These are the most likely parties to be affected by future changes. (more…)

A COASTAL community has vowed to continue its fight to have long-term sea defences installed on its shore after the Environment Agency refused to fund the project.

Bootle beach is currently categorised under the government’s Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) as “no active intervention”.

That would mean the beach and nearby Eskmeals gun range road would be allowed to wash away.

An emergency meeting was held with villagers, Copeland Borough Council, Cumbria County Council and the Environment Agency in a bid to get the government to change the policy and defend the beach. (more…)

CAMPAIGNERS are making waves in their battle to protect Hopton’s seaside community from erosion.

Clifftop resident Brian Hardisty says officials have played down the effect of the outer harbour on the shrinking sands and is seeking answers, possibly by making a Freedom of Information request to see “secret” documents.

Mr Hardisty wants to set up an independent coastal erosion group to challenge the Shoreline Management Plan which is being revised this year. (more…)

A PLAN to stop a road collapsing into the sea is being held back by red tape, it is claimed.

The road leading to Eskmeals Gun Range, near Bootle, is seven feet away from the highest water level during a storm.

Fears are mounting that one or two extreme waves will result in the road falling into the sea.

Gun range managers QinetiQ plans to install concrete blocks on the beach to protect the road, but needs permission from “a number of parties” before the work can be carried out. (more…)

MORECAMBE, Heysham, Sunderland Point, Bolton-le-Sands, Silverdale and other settlements on our stretch of Morecambe Bay have been left out of a coastal erosion consultation.

Geraldine Smith, the MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, has picked up on the omission and has arranged a meeting with the Environment Agency and the city council to make sure public consultation is carried out.

The meeting will take place on Friday at 1pm. (more…)

A DETAILED vision of how the north Suffolk coastline might change over the next 100 years seems poised to be rubber-stamped at top level.

Protecting popular beaches and shoring up defences around Lowestoft harbour are among the proposals being put forward in the finalised shoreline management plan (SMP) for the coast from Lowestoft to Felixstowe.

The final version has been drawn up after three months of public consultations last autumn and looks likely to be approved by environ-ment secretary Hilary Benn and Environment Agency regional top brass in the spring.

The plan looks at the risks of sea erosion and flooding and considers where defences need to be strengthened or where erosion should be allowed to continue over the next century. (more…)

Waves, tides and storms regularly batter the wild coastline of Lancashire. It is nothing new for the landowners who see their land lost inch by inch every year.

But now this destructive climate cycle has left the shores crumbling and communities fearing they could be lost under water forever.

After years of protecting the shoreline, local authorities could wave the white flag at mother nature as they consider leaving the future of the Lancashire coastline in the hands of the gods.

Lancaster City Council is working with the North West England and North Wales Coastal Group, the Environment Agency and other organisations to draw up a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), to establish the best way to manage the changing coast, now and for future generations.

Plans are to either to maintain the current coastal defences or allow the defences to weaken and let swathes of agricultural land turn to marshland. (more…)