A popular British seaside resort is in the midst of a final consultation over plans for a £30m investment to protect part of its coastline. Blackpool council plans to place five new rock groynes on Anchorsholme Beach to protect against the threat of coastal erosion.

The proposed defences will provide coastal flood protection to over 5,000 properties and is part of an ongoing coastal management strategy. Public consultation has been ongoing for some time, but the council has now issued a public notice of the work as part of the Coast Protection Act. Erosion is currently causing large parts of the beach to disappear with the investment plan aiming to protect its coastline with the long, narrow structures which trap sand and “stabilise the beach”.

Blackpool Council said: “The existing coastal defences, which opened in 2017, have not performed as the designers expected. In a localised area, movement and damage to the revetment structure has occurred.

“To address this, large rocks will be added to the existing revetment. This will add weight to stabilise the structure and protect it from further damage.”

They added: “A higher and more stable beach will also enhance public use and the addition of rocks will create habitats, boosting biodiversity. 

“Rock groynes have been effective along the coast at Rossall to the north. There are also plans to implement them in the southern areas of Blackpool.”

The work which is part funded by the Environment Agency will be undertaken by construction giants Balfour Beatty.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, several locals have objected to the siting of the construction compound, with others who wish to raise objections being advised to contact the council or the Secretary of State before 6 May.

Work is expected to begin later this year and is scheduled to take three years to complete.

Of the building work the council said: “During the construction, the beach will be a busy site with the operation of large equipment and rocks temporarily stored ahead of final placement. To ensure everyone's safety, we will ask the public to stay clear of the working area.

“We will temporarily close the existing beach access steps to enable construction of the new steps and manage safety between the public and machines operating on the beach.

“The works will be planned to ensure that some of the steps remain open, allowing people to exit the beach in case of an emergency.”