'Urgent action' needed to save Blackpool beaches

Plans for a £57m sea defence project in Blackpool have been submitted along with a warning the resort could lose its famous golden sands without urgent action.

The proposed investment in the town's coastal defences aims to protect homes and businesses from flooding and preserve the resort's sandy beaches.

Blackpool Council's plans include the installation of 17 manmade rock headlands to trap sand, as well as adding more sand to the beach periodically.

Deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change Jane Hugo said: "If we don't act now, we risk losing our beach forever and increasing the threat of flooding to our communities."

"This scheme is essential for securing Blackpool's future as both a great place to live and much‑loved seaside destination," she added.

She said it would "safeguard homes and businesses while protecting our coastline for generations to come".

The Blackpool Beach Management Scheme application said it was acknowledged that it could change the look and character of the beaches, but unless urgent action was taken they could be lost forever.

If approved, work on the scheme is set to begin in the autumn and to be completed between September 2028 and March 2029, 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 defences, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

This is already happening in Anchorsholme, Blackpool's northern‑most coastline, where work recently began on another sea defence project.

The beach provides protection against coastal erosion and flooding by breaking the force of waves during storms

The proposals include the construction of the 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.

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