South Lakeland planning for 100 years of rising tides (From The Westmorland Gazette)

South Lakeland planning for 100 years of rising tides

3:58pm Monday 25th January 2010

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COMMUNITIES across Morecambe Bay are reacting to a coastal plan which outlines how the changing shoreline should be managed in future.

Rising tides could threaten homes, farmland, natural habitats and a local nature reserve and South Lakeland District Council has been working on a plan of action to protect vulnerable areas.

The draft Shoreline Management Plan outlines proposals for action along the North West coast over the next 100 years as the risk of flooding and erosion increases.

The council is working in partnership with the North West England and North Wales Coastal Group and the Environment Agency to develop an action plan with three alternative approaches for each area – hold the line, managed realignment or no active intervention.

In Silverdale, the parish council has opposed plans not to maintain the current defences.

Parish council chair Terry Bond said RSPB Leighton Moss, which is home to several protected species, would be at risk of flooding if sea levels rise as predicted.

He said flood barriers must be maintained at the nature reserve until birds can be moved to an alternative location. He is also concerned that Silverdale, Warton and Millhead could be cut off from Carnforth by flooding from the River Keer.

“Apparently it is not economically justifiable to maintain the defences here, but it could affect the holiday park owners and Leighton Moss would disappear eventually,” he said.

In Ulverston, mayor Norman Bishop-Rowe said he was concerned about flood defences at the Glaxo-SmithKline site.

“Should the Glaxo site become exposed it puts the canal, homes and other developments in South Ulverston at serious risk of contamination,” he said.

At Arnside, proposals for no active intervention could affect low lying farmland.

Parish Council chair, Dave Willacy said this would affect natural habitats and tourism as Arnside is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“I would like consideration to be given to some kind of defences at New Barns as not maintaining defences there would put the caravan site at risk,” he said.

“Farmland in that area was reclaimed just over 150 years ago so it seems pointless to let it go back to nature again.”

SLDC will host a public consultation event at Kendal Town Hall, on tonight, from 6pm to 8.30pm.

The draft plans can be viewed at: www.mycoastline.org.

Residents interested in finding out about the proposals can get a copy of the plan and information about the South Lakeland coast from the council offices, the Libraries in Arnside, Broughton-in-Furness, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal, Milnthorpe and Ulverston, the council’s website southlakeland.gov.uk or by attending the event.

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