Wyre Council moves to reassure residents before proposed sea defence works begin

Phase one of the council's £40 million beach management scheme has been submitted to planners, which it said would protect 11,000 homes in Cleveleys from flooding.

Plans to put contractors' storage facilities on the town's Jubilee Gardens and its adjacent car park sparked an outcry from residents and business owners in the area. Concerns about the loss of play areas, dog walking ground and the large car park were voiced to planners, along with potential traffic disruption on neighbouring streets.

But councillor Roger Berry, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety at the Wyre Council, said any disruption would be kept to a minimum and the car park would still be open on weekends.

The newly-installed £35,000 play areas on the grass would also be moved into the wider play area next to the skate park.

Coun Berry said: "Part of our planning application involves the use of an area of Jubilee Gardens as our site compound and for storage. This is still at application stage however if approved we want to reassure residents and businesses that we will do everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum.

"We have seen that people have raised concerns about the play area and the car park. However, if we get the go ahead we will only be occupying a part of the car park. The car park will be closed during the week but it will still be open at the weekends.

"We will be using a part of the central grassed area but there will still be a significant area of green space that’s kept free to use. The new play equipment is going to be relocated within the park and will be open for use throughout, as will the skate park and the rest of the play areas.

"Any areas of the car park and the green space used will be reinstated at the end of the project. We remain committed to supporting the Friends of Jubilee Gardens and will be working with them to look at delivering elements of their masterplan for the park.

“We will be working with the contractor on proposed traffic routes. Traffic lights will be placed on North Promenade between Jubilee Gardens and Carr Gate in order for site vehicles to cross the highway safely.

"The traffic lights will predominantly be on green for the North Promenade traffic, only turning red when a truck needs to cross. The highway will not be closed, other than for a short period whilst we carry out strengthening works to the highway for the road crossing.

“We have already consulted with local stakeholders including residents and businesses in the area and we will continue to keep them informed as the scheme progresses. As the contractors begin work we are committed to being a good neighbour and together we look forward to strengthening the flood defences along our coastline.”

The first phase of the scheme will see layers of rock armour placed underneath the beach at the base of the sea wall, to protect existing defences from scour and undermining if beach levels drop during a storm.

It will cover an 883 metre length of sea defences between Café Cove on Cleveleys prom and the southern end of Rossall School grounds.

The council said if savings are made during construction, it would reinvest in the project in improvements to the existing sea defences - including increasing the height of the top of the seawall up to a height of 1100mm, but it is currently proposed at 600mm.

Work is planned to start in May 2021 and be complete by Christmas 2021.

After this, the second phase is expected to last for three years, incorporating a wider stretch of the beach, from Kingsway on the Blackpool border up to Fleetwood.

Rock armour groynes will be installed to build a "high stable beach," to reduce wave height and energy, and risk of the overtopping and damage of sea defences.

Phase two is also subject to a successful planning application, due to be submitted later this year.