Blackpool Council: Major coastal defense project submitted to planning

A planning application for a multi million pound sea defense project in Blackpool has been submitted, Blackpool Council said.

The proposed scheme is a £57m investment in the town’s coastal defenses, which aims to protect homes and businesses from flooding and preserve the resort’s golden sandy beaches for future generations.

Blackpool is losing its beaches and, unless urgent action is taken, they could be lost forever, the Council said.

Climate change is causing beach sand levels to lower, which could expose the clay beneath and pose a serious risk to existing sea defenses. This is already happening in Anchorsholme, Blackpool’s northern‑most coastline, where work recently began on another sea defense project.

The beach provides the first line of defense against coastal erosion and flooding during storms by breaking the force of the waves.

The Blackpool Beach Management scheme proposals include the construction of 17 rock headlands on the beach in an area stretching from just south of South Pier to Cocker Square, just north of North Pier.

Blackpool Council has been awarded funding for the scheme from the Environment Agency.